


Peter and His Super Family

by all_things_fandom_and_stuff



Series: Life as Peter Parker [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, Irondad, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Mind Control, Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Stalking, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Torture, Violence, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-17 04:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 52
Words: 52,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14825648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_things_fandom_and_stuff/pseuds/all_things_fandom_and_stuff
Summary: The Avengers learn about Spider-Man's surprising identity, and they soon realize that they will go to any length to protect the newest member of their Super Family.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Everyone! This is my very first fanfic, so I'm sorry if it's not great! Hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Hey, come join my discord for updates on when I post or if you would like to give me ideas/feedback! Plus you'll get an internet friend in the process!! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/GcXnGwJ

It was just a typical night for Peter. He told Aunt May that he was going to go work on his math homework, while in reality, he was going to put on his mask, and swing around the city helping people in need. 

He grabbed the bag with his suit, quietly opened the window, and jumped out. He walked a few blocks away from home until he found a deserted alley. Not wanting to be spotted, he changed behind a dumpster, hid his bag, and then made his way to the rooftops.

Peter preferred to start off his nights with lower level crime, and then seek out the slightly more dangerous stuff. It was his version of a warm-up. So, when he heard a guy yell, “stop thief!”, he swung into action. 

It should have been an easy job. 

It was just a thief.

He spotted the guy half way up the street. He was wearing a black hoodie, and carrying the yelling man’s wallet. The man turned down an alley before Peter had a chance to stop him with his web shooters. Landing in front of the alley’s entrance, Peter sensed the presence of an old lady to his left. He didn’t give her a second thought. He really should have.

“Hey, Mister,” Peter said to the thief who was trying to scale a fence, “Didn’t your mother teach you it was wrong to steal? You’re not even that great of a thief. You’re having a real tough time trying to scale that fence, man.”

If Peter could have turned back time, and stayed home to do his homework, he would have. 

God, he wished he could have.

Time moved in slow motion. The old lady, who Peter had not given a second thought to, started screaming bloody murder at the sight of the thief and what he was holding. Startled by the sudden noise, Peter whipped around to face the old woman. He saw the lady, eyes wide with horror, fixed on the man behind him. Peter had a sinking feeling.

He sensed it after it was too late. The gun being drawn. Aimed at him. He heard a click. A loud noise. There was a searing pain in his lower back. The old lady took off as fast as she could.

The world looked funny, almost as if his eyes were observing it through some sort of weird filter. The ground was rushing to meet him. He could hear the thief finally hopping the fence, and taking off. Peter hit the ground with a loud thud, and he let out a low groan. He could feel the warmth of the blood pooling under him. He was starting to feel sleepy. Peter had always been scared of dying, but he was more upset by the thought of dying here, alone in some dark alley.

And with that last thought, Peter’s world went black.

 

Bucky had had a rough night.

He had been sparring with Steve, when out of nowhere he started to have flashbacks to the Winter Soldier. When the panic attack started, Steve was right by his side, like always. He could always rely on Steve. Once he had calmed down somewhat, he decided he needed some fresh air. While he loved Steve’s presence, he also hated the look on Steve’s face whenever he had an attack. Bucky hated the way it hurt Steve to see him like that. Steve had offered to go on the walk with him, but Bucky just needed some space to sort through his thoughts. Even though it had been a while since he had been Winter Soldier, the memories never faded. All the lives he took. The torture he had endured. It was going to stick with him for the rest of his life.

Bucky enjoyed taking walks. While the air wasn’t exactly crisp in New York, it beat being cooped up inside. The sun had set a while ago, so there weren’t many people on the streets. Bucky preferred that, because he wouldn’t have to put up with as many stares.

Bucky was thinking about what he should get Steve for their anniversary when he heard the shot. An old woman was half walking, half running towards him. She was clearly upset. Bucky put his arm out to stop her.

“Where?” he asked. She pointed her shaking finger in the direction of an alley a little further up, and then pushed past him. Bucky cautiously made his way to the location the woman had given him. He carefully peered around the corner, but saw nothing.

It wasn’t until he was in the alley that he saw him lying there.

Spider-Man.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Natasha to the rescue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the support! I can't believe that this many people are enjoying my first ever fanfic. You all are wonderful humans, and I love you.

“Shit,” Bucky said under his breath.

He rushed to Spider-Man’s side, assessing the damage. There was one bullet wound to his lower abdomen, and blood was still seeping out of the wound. Bucky ripped off the bottom of his shirt, and pressed the cloth into to the wound. With his other hand, he pulled off the guy’s mask, in an attempt to give him some air.

“Shit,” Bucky said again, his heart plummeting, realizing that Spider-Man was just a teenager, “Don’t die on me, kid!” 

Bucky reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone, frantically dialing Tony’s number. Over the ringing of the phone, he could hear sirens. The old lady must have called the cops. 

Knowing the value of one's identity, Bucky put the phone on speaker, put it in his pocket, gently lifted the boy, and headed through the closest door. Thankfully, it appeared to be an unused storage area for a local business. Finally, Tony picked up the phone.

“What’s up, Frosty? Getting tired of Cap’s annoying charms already? You know, I’m actually really surprised you called--”

“Tony,” Bucky interrupted, his voice grave. Tony immediately shut up sensing the tension in Bucky’s voice, “You know that guy that’s been swinging around New York? The press is calling him Spider-Man.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’ve got a bit of a situation. I’m going to need a quinjet at my location ASAP. I’d also go wake Bruce up, if he isn’t still up, and tell him to prep the med-bay.”

“What’s going on? What’s the situation?”

“I’ll fill you in later. I need this done now, Tony!” The boy stirred under his arms slightly. His breath was becoming more labored.

“Okay, I’m on my way. I’m bringing Nat with me. We will be there in five,” Bucky could hear Tony starting to give instructions to F.R.I.D.A.Y. before he hung up the phone. 

“Stay with me kid, help’s coming.” 

 

Tony wasn’t kidding when he said he would be there in five minutes. He threw open the door to the storage area. Natasha was standing right behind him. 

“What the --” Tony said, seeing the boy on the ground, covered in blood, with his head resting in Bucky’s lap.

“Can you get the stretcher?” Bucky asked, not taking his eyes of the kid.

“Yeah…” Nat said, jogging back to the quinjet, her eyes lingering on the scene, before it vanished from view. 

Tony and Bucky waited in stunned silence until Natasha got back. Bucky noted how horrified Tony looked. His face perfectly mimicked how Bucky felt.

“On three,” Nat instructed after she has laid the stretcher out beside the kid. She grabbed the kid’s legs, “One, two, three. Okay, let’s get him loaded up.” 

The three of them sit in silence for the flight back. They all just listen to the strained breathing of the teenager who is laid out beside them, hoping that it won’t stop. 

 

Bruce was there to greet the jet when it landed.

“What’ve we got?” he asked.

“G.S.W. to the lower abdomen. Male. Probably about 15. Non-responsive,” Tony said in a steady voice, finally getting his emotions under control.

“Who is this kid?” Bruce said as they were rolling the kid to the Med-Bay. 

“Spider-Man,” Bucky provided. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” 

 

Bucky had gone downstairs to get some coffee while he waited to hear about Spider-Man. He wasn’t at all surprised when Tony showed up. Tony had always been the most curious member of the team, except for maybe Bruce, and he was sure that Tony wanted to know everything that had happened. 

“What the hell happened out there?” He asked Bucky as he poured his own extra large black coffee. Bucky let out a little sigh, not really wanting to have this conversation, but knowing that Tony would keep pushing until he got some answers.

“I had finished sparring with Steve, and I went for a walk to cool down. I heard the gunshot, but I never got a glimpse of the shooter. He was gone by the time I reached the kid. There was an elderly woman who might have seen the guy, but I’m not sure. She took off pretty fast. As soon as I had finished assessing the information, I called you.”

“Shit. Well this isn’t good. We don’t even know who this kid is. Or who his parents are. God this sucks,” Tony lets out a deep sigh. “Speaking of Capsicle, where is he?” Bucky let out a tiny embarrassed chuckle and he gave the tiniest of smiles.

“I kind of went a little too far in our sparring match earlier, so he said he was going to retire early to sleep it off.” Tony smiled too.

“You know, I always knew there was a reason that I liked you, Frosty. Cap needs his ass handed to him more often, if you ask me. I’m going to head to the garage to tinker. Let me know when the kid gets out?” 

“Sure.” 

Bucky stayed in the kitchen, staring out the floor to ceiling windows that have the most amazing view of the city, and all of it’s lights twinkling in the darkness. But despite the beautiful view, all Bucky could think about is how this kid may never see any of those lights again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapters, but I figured if I have shorter chapters, I can update more often! Again, comments are welcome, and appreciated! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some cute Stucky, and general worrying over Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that I'm updating very quickly right now, but that's because I have a lot of the beginning already written. Updates will slow down soon, though they will remain fairly consistent. Thank you to everyone who has been leaving such nice comments and kudos! You're all amazing, and I'm so happy you're enjoying my story thus far!!

Bucky drank two more coffees before Bruce showed up looking exhausted. 

“The kid is going to pull through,” he said with the a small smile, “He probably won’t be conscious until sometime tomorrow, but the worst of the danger has passed. If you don’t need anything, I’m going to go to bed.” Bucky nodded, and returned the small smile. Bruce left the kitchen. 

Bucky felt as if a gigantic weight had been lifted off his chest. He hadn’t realized that he had been so on edge. At first he couldn’t place why this kid meant so much to him. And then it hit him. 

Spider-man reminded Bucky a lot of pre-super soldier Steve. They were both smaller, teenage guys, who could really take a beating. Bucky had always backed Steve up in those fights so many years ago, and he decided right then that that was what he was going to do for Spider-man. No one was ever going to hurt this kid again.

 

Knowing that F.R.I.D.A.Y. would wake everyone if there was a problem with the kid, Bucky decided that he would try to get at least some sleep, but not before sending a quick message to Tony that the kid was out of surgery. Steve and him shared a small bedroom. They weren’t really into Tony’s lavish lifestyle, and Bucky felt safer in smaller rooms. There were fewer shadows for hydra agents to lurk in.

Steve was fast asleep when Bucky came in the room. Bucky quietly changed into sweats and a t-shirt in the dark, and slid into bed next to Steve. Steve murmured something in his sleep, and turned over to face Bucky. Steve’s face was so relaxed and innocent looking, that Bucky couldn’t help to smile. When he was awake, Steve always looked worried.

Steve must have sensed that Bucky was there, because his head moved forward just enough to nuzzle Bucky’s chest. Despite the long and strenuous day and the multiple cups of coffee, Bucky’s entire body relaxed in the presence of Steve. It wasn’t long until he had drifted off to sleep. 

 

It was no surprise to Bucky when he woke up to find that Steve wasn’t there. He always liked to get up early, and workout so that he could have the gym to himself. 

Bucky changed quickly, planning on stopping by the kitchen for a quick bite to eat, before heading up to the Med-Bay. 

Clint was in the kitchen eating an apple, while mindlessly flipping through a newspaper. He looked up when Bucky walked in. He gave Bucky a small nod as way of a morning greeting.

“I talked to Nat this morning. She told me what happened. Is the kid going to be okay?”

“Bruce seems to think so. I was actually about to head up there to see if there’s been any news. Do you know if Steve’s come up from the gym yet?”

“Yeah, I saw him a little while ago. He had heard what happened from Tony. He said he was going to go down to the police station to see if any kids have been reported missing. Nat went with him.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. We need to figure out who this kid is. I’m assuming Bruce is with the kid?”

“Last I heard. Tony should be up there, too. I’m going to head out and look for witnesses. Maybe someone saw who shot Spider-Man. If not, it will at least give me an excuse to stretch my legs. We haven’t had a mission in over a week, and I’m beginning to feel claustrophobic.”

“Thanks, Barton. Let me know if you find anything.”

Bucky made his way to the Med-Bay, where Bruce and Tony were talking in hushed voices, trying not to disturb the kid. When they saw him come in, they gave Bucky a reassuring look, before resuming their conversation about science, or at least that is what Bucky presumed they were talking about. 

Instead of joining in on the conversation, Bucky plopped himself down into a chair that sat in the corner, and he waited for the kid to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments are encouraged because it helps me push through my writer's block!! Plus, I love hearing from you guys!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Detailed depiction of a panic attack
> 
> I hope you guys all enjoy this new chapter!! Thanks for all the support for this fic <3

Before Peter had even really regained consciousness, his spider senses were screaming. He woke up in a panic, but he made sure not to physically show it. He could tell he was in a foreign place, and he laid as still as possible trying to assess his situation. 

He was having a very hard time focusing. His mind kept slipping, and there seemed to be a dull pain in his stomach. He wondered if he ate something funny. 

Peter opened his eyes just a crack to catch a glimpse of his surroundings. There was a man sitting in the corner reading a novel. He looked large, muscular, and threatening. Peter started to really panic, as he realized that he had no idea where he was, and no idea how he got here.

It was getting harder to breath, and the room was starting to spin a little bit. He tried to get up. There was an annoying beeping somewhere in the distance that was getting faster, and faster, and faster.

He was somewhat aware of the fact that the man in the corner had gotten out of his chair and was trying to gently force him back into bed. 

“Hey, kid calm down. It’s okay. You’re okay. Deep breaths. Come on kid, deep breaths,” the man seemed to be talking to Peter, but Peter couldn’t focus on what he was saying. Why was it so goddamn hard to breathe? The man was yelling for someone named Bruce. There was something warm and wet on Peter’s abdomen. The room was swaying back and forth, and Peter was becoming painfully aware of the fact that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen. Why couldn’t he breathe? 

Another man appeared in the room.

“Hey, kiddo. I’m going to need you to take some deep breaths with me. You’re having a panic attack. You’re not in any danger here, okay. I need you to focus on me, and follow my breathing. Can you do that?”

Peter was vaguely aware of the fact that he was nodding. He did try very hard to focus on the man, and after what seemed like an eternity he was slowly feeling like he was getting air again. 

When Peter had regained enough of his composure he took in his surroundings properly. He was in some sort of medical wing, but something was off about it that he couldn’t quite place. Then his eyes fell upon the man who had been reading, and his mind began to spin all over again. He was sitting in a medical wing with an avenger. The Winter Soldier looked just as intimidating in person, as he did on the internet.

The other man was unfamiliar to Peter. He was a shy-looking, scholarly type. 

“How are you doing now, kid? My name is Bruce. It’s nice to finally meet you. You gave us quite a scare. You reopened your stitches, so I’m going to need to take care of that, okay? And you’re going to need to lie really still while I do it.”

“Where am I? How did I get here?” Peter asked, feeling the anxiety creeping slowly back into his chest. The man named Bruce started to stitch him back up.

“You’re in the Avenger’s tower. I found you in an alley, after you got shot, and brought you back here,” the Winter Soldier said with a curious note of emotion in his voice.

Dread filled Peter as he remembered what had happened.

“So, you know then?”

“That you’re Spider-Man? Yes, we know. Don’t worry though, your secret is safe with us,” the man named Bruce said, as Peter let out a small sigh of relief, “Do you mind telling us your real name, and maybe a relative that we can contact?” 

Peter hesitated. The only person that knows he’s Spider-Man is Ned. Then again, if he didn’t tell the avengers his real name, he was sure they would be able to find out what it is one way or another.

“Peter. Peter Parker. And you can try my Aunt’s cell. She’s away visiting a friend right now, but she’s only a few hours away,”

“Well Peter, it is nice to meet you,” Bruce said as he finished redressing Peter’s wound, “I’m going to call your aunt, but Bucky here will stay here to make sure you’re okay. Sound good?”

Peter gave a wary glance at the super soldier, but nodded, and Bruce left.

“You okay, Peter?” Bucky had a look of concern on his face, and his eyes seemed to bore into Peter’s soul. Peter twitched nervously as he thought back to the alley, and the despair he felt as he lay there dying.

“Yeah,” he said unconvincingly as his brow furrowed in concentration desperately trying to keep his anxiety in check.

“It’s okay not to be okay. Steve always has to remind me of that. He’s constantly reminding me that it’s okay to be human, and to feel. I won’t judge you if you’re not okay, Peter. I won’t judge you if you want to scream, and shout, and cry, or just say nothing at all. All I’m saying is it’s okay not to be okay.”

Peter didn’t even register the dampness on his cheeks at first, but it was as if he had opened up the floodgates. He started to sob uncontrollably. 

Bucky didn’t say a word. He just sat next to Peter, gathered him in his arms, and held him as he cried until there were no more tears to shed. And despite Peter’s initial impressions of Bucky, he had never been so happy to have human contact. He focused on the rising and falling of Bucky’s chest to prove to himself that he was still here. 

That he was still alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading up to this point!! Please leave a comment if you liked the chapter, because it fuels my motivation to write!! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get a whole lot worse....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I added stalking to the tags, and that there will be mentions of stalking in this chapter, and probably the next few chapters.
> 
> You're all amazing, by the way <3

A couple hours later, after Peter had calmed down, Bruce, Bucky, and Peter were all playing cards on Peter’s hospital bed.

They were expecting Peter’s Aunt May at any moment. When Bruce had talked to her, she seemed very confused as to what her nephew was doing in the Avenger’s Tower. Bruce just told her that she needed to get here as soon as possible, and that they would explain when she arrived.

“Oh, come on!” Bruce yells as Peter lays down his last card to win the round of Liverpool. Bucky only had a couple of low value cards in his hand, so he wasn’t that upset, but Bruce had what looked like half the deck.

“Yikes, Bruce. That puts you at 538 points, I’m at 172 points, and Peter has 12 points. With only two hands left, I don’t think you have a chance. This kid just annihilated you,” Bucky gives Peter a proud smile, and Peter returns it with a sheepish grin. It was good to see him smile. Peter was finally becoming more relaxed with them.

“Shuffle?” Bucky says, handing the cards to Bruce. Bruce groans, but takes the cards and begins to clumsily shuffle the cards.

Peter jumps ever so slightly when there is a knock on the door. Steve pokes his head in, but when he sees that he is not interrupting, he enters the room and makes his way over to Bucky.

“Hey, Buck,” Steve gives Bucky a quick hello kiss. Bucky can tell that something is wrong, but keeps his face a mask so that he does not needlessly worry Peter, “Barton and Stark want to talk to you for a minute.”

“Does that mean I can finally admit defeat?” Bruce asks.

“Most definitely not,” Steve jests, “I’m taking over for Bucky. What are we playing? Poker? I’m Steve by the way,” He holds out his hand for Peter to take. Peter tentatively takes it, obviously recognizing the super soldier.

“Peter, and we’re playing Liverpool Rummy.”

“Well, Peter. What do you say? Do you want to end Dr. Banner’s suffering?”

Peter nods, and Bruce starts to deal out the cards. 

Bucky gets up from the bed, and gives Steve his spot. Steve gives Bucky a worried look as Bucky leaves, but then turns his attention back to the game and gives Peter a big goofy grin. Steve has always been good at giving a fake smile.

Bucky finds Clint and Tony out in the hall. Their faces are very grave. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“It’s about Peter,” Clint says. Bucky mind starts to go over every possible scenario that could cause the horrifying amount of worry in Clint’s eyes. Did something go wrong with the surgery, and they just didn’t catch it until now? Did something happen to Peter’s Aunt? 

Bucky wasn’t expecting the words that came out of Tony’s mouth.

“It wasn’t a random mugging, Bucky. It was a planned attack on Peter.” 

Bucky’s head started to spin. 

Who would deliberately attack a sixteen-year-old? But then he remembers that he, himself, wasn’t that much older when Hydra had taken him. And they had done those things….

Breathe, Bucky. He told himself.

“How do you know? How do you know it was a planned attack on Peter?”

“I went back to where the attack happened, and I found the wallet that the shooter had been seen carrying. I looked inside and found this.” Clint hands a piece of paper over to Bucky. It’s been folded into quarters. Bucky slowly unfolds it. His blood pressure rises as he reads:

You’re all so easy to manipulate. Just put a damsel in distress and you all come running. I had so much fun putting that bullet in our friend, Peter. The way it ripped through his flesh still sends shivers of delight down my spine. You better keep spidey close, because I’d really like to see him again, and I don’t know if he’s going to survive another play date. 

Your Best Friend Forever

 

Chills run up Bucky’s spine and he feels like he was going to be sick. He's going to make this bastard pay for what he did to that innocent kid sitting in the other room. This guy was never going to lay a hand on Peter ever again.

“There’s one more thing,” Clint says. Bucky practically stops breathing, waiting to hear how it could get any worse, “The man called him Peter. He knows Peter’s identity.”

Bucky’s eyes went wide as he realized what Clint was saying. Clint confirmed it.

“This man has been stalking Peter for quite some time now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May finally shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Slight depiction of Panic Attack.
> 
> I'm not sure how I feel about the beginning of this chapter/ the way that I depicted Tony, but it's sort of necessary for the plot to make sense. Anyway, I'm sorry if it sucks!
> 
> Also, you guys are so great! I love you all! <3

“Okay, I am officially never playing Liverpool Rummy again,” Bruce grumbles as he shoves the cards back into the package.

“Oh come on Bruce, you only lost by…. How many points did he lose by?” Steve asks Peter.

“Six hundred and twelve.” Peter states matter-of-factly with a huge grin on his face.

“Yeah! Six hundred and twelve.That’s not so bad,” Steve chuckles. Bruce rolls his eyes.

“I think I’ll stick to Scrabble, thank you.”

“If you’re looking for a good competitor, I hear Natasha is amazing at scrabble. And chess. Barton gets a little bitter when he loses to Nat. He won’t shut up about it.”

The door to the room suddenly opens and Clint and Tony come inside. The mood instantly darkens. Peter notices Tony give Steve a look.

“He’s outside, he took it about as well as could be expected” Tony says. Steve face fills with concern for a split second before it goes back to its regular guarded expression. He jumps off the bed, and jogs out of the room.

“Is everything okay?” Peter asks. The man Peter recognizes as Tony Stark, gives him a little half smile, and pauses before he begins to speak.

“Oh yeah. Everything’s fine. Bucky just gets a little worked up sometimes. He needs his capsicle there to calm him down. He’ll be fine. I’m Tony, by the way. Though, I’m assuming you already knew that since the media likes to use the avengers as role models. I’ll never understand why someone would say ‘You know who’s a good role model. Tony Stark.’ I mean come on. Look at me. But hey, here we are. Oh, and this is Legolas,” Tony adds as an afterthought.

“Clint,” Barton corrects. Peter smiles, but he can’t help but notice the tension in the room. The only thing that is giving Peter any comfort at all is that Bruce looks just as confused as Peter feels.

“Sir,” Peter jumps as a disembodied voice fills the room, “A woman named May Parker is waiting in the lobby. She is here to see her nephew Peter Parker.”

“Send her up, Friday.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Sorry if Friday startled you. She’s my AI. You might hear her from time to time, but she mainly interacts with me. 

“Now Peter, I came in here for a reason. Other than to get Cap, that is. I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that Friday has finished reading your latest scans, and by some dark sorcery, your wound is basically gone. I’m assuming you have some sort of super healing ability or something. The bad new is that you can’t go home, and we are going to have to put May into protective custody.” 

“Wow, Tony. That was a bit abrupt. I mean, Jesus, way to soften the blow,” Clint criticizes. Bruce sits silently, brow furrowed, trying to asses the situation.

“What do you mean I can’t go home? What’s happening.”

“I’m sorry for being abrupt, but we don’t have a lot of time. Have you told your Aunt that you’re spiderman?”

“No.” Peter shifts guiltily in his seat.

“Do you want to tell her?”

“No.”

“Good. If you weren’t being a rebellious teenager, I would be concerned. Actually, frankly I would be horrified. A teenager who isn’t rebelling against their parents isn’t having any fun. Now, about your aunt. We’re going to tell her that you got caught in the middle of an Avenger’s mission, and that you got caught in the crossfire. We’re going to say that the bad guys are still at large, and that for her own safety, as well as yours, we’re going to move her to a safe house. Sound good?”

“Yeah, but Mr. Stark, you still haven’t told me what’s really going on.”

“Sir, Ms. Parker has exited the elevator and is on her way.”

“Later, kid, I promise, but right now we need to get your aunt to a secure location. We don’t want her to be used as leverage.”

“Leverage for what?”

The door swings open.

“Oh, Peter!” May cries out, and runs to give Peter a hug. Bruce manages to move out of the way before getting accidentally tackled by the woman. “Oh, Peter, are you okay? I was so worried. They told me you were shot!”

Tony intercedes.

“Uh, hi. May is it? My name’s Tony. Tony Stark. Ma’am we’re recommending that you enter SHIELD’s protective custody effective immediately.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Peter got caught up in a classified mission. We believe he could be a potential target. Protocol dictates that immediate relatives of known targets should be moved to safe houses until the threat has been neutralized.”

“What? So, Peter and I just leave now to go-- to go who knows where?” May threw up her hands in exasperation. 

“Not Peter. Just you.”

“What do you mean just me? If they’re after Peter shouldn’t he go into hiding too?”

“Peter will be safer here. With the Avengers,” Clint cuts in, “I understand your frustration. I have kids, too. I would hate to leave them, knowing that they might be in danger. But you have to trust us to do our job. We’ll keep Peter safe.”

“We’ll give you a few minutes to talk, but the longer you stay here, May, the more danger you both will be in.”

 

Steve found Bucky in the alley next to the tower, crouched against the wall breathing deep. This wasn’t the first time Steve had found him here. Fresh air helped Bucky calm down. He lowered himself onto the ground next to Bucky, and laid a hand on his knee. He sat there patiently, knowing the best thing he could do for Bucky at this point in his attack, was to just let Bucky know that he was there for him. After a few moments Bucky spoke.

“That’s the second attack this week,” He leans his head back letting it hit the brick behind him, “I thought I was getting better, Steve. I thought I was making progress. It’s just everything that’s happening with Peter…. It’s triggering memories, and I don’t even know why. God, I just want to be okay, Steve. I want to be there for Peter, but I can’t even get a grip on my own problems. What if something happens? What if that freak comes for Peter, and I can’t do anything because I’m having a fucking panic attack?”

Steve grabs Bucky’s arm and leans his head on his shoulder.

“It’s okay not to be okay, Buck. You will get better though, and in the meantime you have me. We’re not going to let anything happen to Peter. Alright?”

“You know it’s funny, I told Peter that.”

“What?”

“It’s okay not to be okay.”

“Well, you must have it heard it from someone very smart. And very handsome.” Steve grins at Bucky. Bucky hesitates for a moment but grins back, and leans in to kiss Steve.

“How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?”

“Who says I’m not the lucky one?” Steve retorts, and they sit there in each other’s arms for a few more minutes, trying to experience a moment of peace before the storm hits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I just want to say, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my first ever fan fiction experience amazing. I was so excited to get just like 5 kudos, and now this story has over 200. And I know that there are stories that get WAY more than that on this site, but I honestly didn't think anyone was really going to like this. So, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I love each and everyone of you, even if you're just a passive reader. You guys have made the past two days incredible. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I might not be updating until Tuesday, because my parents will be in town, but if I have some down time I will try to update! Thank you for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was able to write a chapter for you guys after all!! Hope you like it <3
> 
> As always you guys are amazing! Thank you for all your lovely comments! I love you all <3

“I love you, and I’m going to miss you, and don’t you dare get into any more trouble. Okay?” May had tears streaming down her face.

“I’m going to be fine, May. I’ve got the Avengers. Nothing’s going to happen,” Peter was trying very hard not to cry. He wanted to be strong for May, and to show her that he wasn’t scared. He was scared, though, because all the Avengers were scared, and when the Avengers are scared there has to be some bad shit happening. 

Tony comes back into the room, followed by Black Widow.

“Ms. Parker, this is agent Romanoff. She will be escorting you to the safe house.”

“I’m sorry Ma’am, but we’ve got to get going. We’ve got a car waiting for us downstairs, and the longer you stay here, the more danger Peter will be in,” agent Romanoff says gently.

“Alright, alright,” May turns and kisses Peter on the top of his head, “I love you, Peter.”

“I love you, too, May,” Peter had a weird feeling, like this was the last time he was ever going to see May. He brushes the feeling away, though. He was with the Avengers. Nothing was going to happen to him.

May leaves with agent Romanoff, but Tony stays behind. Peter takes the opportunity to get some answers out of Tony.

“Are you going to tell me what’s happening, now? Why does May have to leave? Why does everyone look so goddamn terrified?!”

“Woah! Language!” Tony yells, but then he closes his eyes, takes a deep breathe, and runs a hand through his hair, “Wow, god, I’m turning into Steve. Look, kid, Clint got some intel about your shooter. And it’s….. Well, it’s not good.”

“What? What is it?”

“It appears that it wasn’t a random attack. We think this man knew where you were going to be, and set up a fake mugging to draw you out.”

Peter’s eyes went wide. He didn’t say anything.

“You okay, kid?”

“Yeah. I’m just processing,” Peter is silent for another moment, and when he speaks again there is a slight catch in his voice, “Why would someone go after me? I’ve made enemies, sure, but I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that would make someone want to kill me.”

“From the evidence we got, I don’t think that this man is actually after you. I think he’s just trying to use you, to get at the Avengers. At least, that’s our working theory.”

“So, now that I’m here, he won’t come after me again?” Peter asks hopefully.

“I sure hope not, kid.”

 

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. Bruce made everyone squash soup for dinner, and Tony complained saying that he wanted hamburgers. He secretly loved it though, and went back for seconds.

It was also the first time Peter had left the medical bay. He was almost able to drive the thought of his life being in danger away, because he was so excited to be getting a tour of the Avengers Tower from actual Avengers. However, it lingered there in the back of his head, like the buzzing of a wasp.

When Bruce finally suggested that Peter should go to bed, so that he could let his body finish healing properly, Peter realized that he had no desire to go lay in a dark room alone by himself.

Bucky must have sensed his reluctance.

“Hey Peter, I’m off to bed too, and my room happens to be close to yours. Walk with me?”

“Yeah, sure,” Peter nods, secretly happy for the company.

“Hey! Don’t forget about me!” Steve says, jumping onto Bucky’s back, “Carry me, won’t you darling?” He nuzzles his face into Bucky’s neck.

“Oh my god! Get a room!” Tony teases. Steve slides off Bucky’s back, and gives Tony a sassy look, and then the three of them set off down the hall towards their rooms.

“So, Peter how are you holding up?” Steve asks as he slings his arm around Bucky.

“Alright. I mean, who’s perfectly okay when they know that someone tried to intentionally kill them, and is still out walking the streets?”

“Fair point. Well, if you need anything, Bucky and I are here for you. Our room is just down the hall on the left. Okay?”

“Okay. Goodnight, you guys,” Peter says, reluctant to separate from them not wanting to be alone.

“Night, Peter,” Bucky says clearly exhausted, and about ready to pass out right there in Steve’s arms.

“See you in the morning,” Steve says as he begins to guide Bucky towards their room.

 

Peter enters his room, turns on all the lights, and closes and locks the door behind him. Then he checks every possible place an intruder could be hiding. When he is satisfied that no one is in the room with him, he finally starts to get ready for bed.

He then turns out the lights and crawls into bed. It takes Peter what seems like ages to fall asleep. Every little noise, wakes him right back up again. His mind plays tricks on him, when he stares out into the darkness. 

When he is finally able to drift off into sleep, he’s not asleep for long.

 

The lights turn on by themselves.

 

The Itsy-Bitsy Spider lullaby starts to play.

 

And a disembodied voice starts to speak.

 

“Wakey, Wakey Spider-Boy! It’s time to play.”

 

It isn’t F.R.I.D.A.Y.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Peter :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whose ready for some creepy antagonist time??!!
> 
> <3

Peter jolts up in bed, confused, panicked, and disoriented from sleep.

“Did you have a nice nap?” The voice in the ceiling says like it’s genuinely curious. 

Peter jumps out of bed, and runs to the door, only to find that it won’t open.

“Oh, Peter...tsk, tsk. Did you think I would let you leave, when all the fun is about to begin? You know, everyone goes on and on and on about these Avenger fellows, but they’re really not all they’re cracked up to be. I mean take Tony Stark, for example. He relies on his AI for everything, and it was incredibly easy to hack. 

“He’s like a child playing house. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” 

Peter was starting to panic. He had no way out of this room, and regardless of how many times he tried, the door wouldn’t open. He started to bang on the door, and he screamed for Bucky, for Steve, for anyone to hear him.

“Peter, I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall! That’s very rude. You’re not listening. Tony relies on Friday for EVERYTHING. These walls are soundproof for privacy purposes. He relies on his AI for security, for day-to-day operations, to control his labs, his files, his calendar, his fucking air- conditioning. Tony put all his eggs in one basket, and Peter, I just stole the basket. So, stop trying to open the fucking door, and sit down, and listen to storytime. Okay? Can you do that for me Peter. Can you sit down, please?”

Peter was having a really hard time trying not to hyperventilate. He was horrified. Who was smart enough to hack into Tony Stark’s AI? And now that he had this power, what was he going to do with it. As calmly as he could, Peter sat down in the armchair closest to him.

“Now, Peter, nothing bad is going to happen to you. Well, at least not in the next few minutes anyway. I’m no fortune teller. Who knows what could happen to you down the road. My point is you can relax,” Peter didn’t relax. He was stiff, and adrenaline was pumping through his body.

“So here’s the gist of it, Spidey. My employers need you to do a couple of things for them. You know your friend Bucky? Well, my employers used to be the bestest of friends with Bucky, and they desperately want to have a friendly reunion with him. The problem is these pesky Avengers. They are always in this tight little pack, like a bunch of teenage girls. See, the Avengers don’t like my employers. In fact, I think they have used the word ‘evil’ to describe them, but my employers aren’t evil. Sure, they might be fanatics, and a little crazy, but I wouldn’t call them evil.

“Anyway, I need you --and this is where you come in, so listen close now spidey-- I need you to tell Bucky that you need to get out of the house, get some fresh air, maybe toss around the old pigskin. Honestly, whatever you need to say to get him to come to this address that I’m going to send to that monitor that’s attached to the wall,” Peter looked over at the wall, and sure enough there was a fancy looking monitor on the wall. Peter had never really noticed it before, because Avengers Tower was littered with all of Tony’s tech. 

“Now, it has to be just you and Bucky. No one else. Just the damsel, and her knight in shining armor.”

“What?” Peter said, confused.

“Did you not see the note that I left? Oh, Petey that’s a shame. I recounted our first meeting, and it was written with so much love. No matter, we will be reunited soon.”

“What happens if I just say no? You can’t force me to bring you Bucky?”

“My, My Peter. And here I was, thinking you were smart. I have control over some of the most high-tech and dangerous labs in the country. You know how easy it would be for me to make this whole tower go kaboom? Your friends entrails raining from the sky like confetti, not to mention your own. 

“I’ll be watching you, Peter. One wrong word, one wrong step, hell if you even look at anyone funny, I will make an explosion so large, there won’t be anything left for your Aunt May to bury.”

Peter felt sick. 

“You promise that no one gets hurt if I do this?”

“I don’t think you’re in the position to be asking for promises, sweetpea. 10 am tomorrow Spidey, or I’m getting some early Fourth of July fireworks, and I intend to bring popcorn. Sweet dreams, now.”

And just like that he was gone. The music stopped playing, the lights turned off, and Peter was left sitting there in the dark with an impossible decision to make.

Let all the Avengers and himself die, or turn Bucky and himself over to this freak.

Needless to say, Peter didn’t get anymore sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of the villain!! I'm very curious!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things take a turn for the worst...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: While there isn't really violence in this chapter, it is very intense. Please, keep this in mind before you decide to read.
> 
> You guys, I actually had to stop in the middle of writing this, because I was getting too emotional. :(
> 
> I'm sorry to everyone who wanted this to be a happy recovery fic, because that's not what this is.... at least not yet.
> 
> I love you all <3

Bucky woke up so early the next morning, that Steve wasn’t even up yet. When he got up out of bed, however, Steve rolled over and groaned.

“Whachya gettin’ up so early for?” Steve mumbles into his pillow.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Bucky says, as he pulls on some pants.

“Well, since you woke me up, might as well get outta bed.”

“Sorry,” Bucky says, feeling bad for waking Cap up.

“It’s fine. I was just about to get up anyway,” Steve says laying a hand on Bucky’s shoulder as he passes him to go use the restroom.

 

A few minutes later, Steve and Bucky make their way into the kitchen. Peter is already there. Bucky makes a mental note of how horrible he looks. There are huge bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept at all, and even though there was a bowl of cereal in front of him, it was untouched. 

“You okay, Pete?” Bucky asks looking concerned. Steve looks over at Peter to see why Bucky asked, clearly oblivious to everything around him this early in the morning.

“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine. Umm… I was wondering…. I’ve been cooped up in here for a couple of days now, and I usually spend most of my days outside. You know, because I’m Spider-Man, and all. I know this really great place to throw a frisbee around, or play catch. I was wondering if you would want to go and hang out there for a bit this morning,” Something was clearly bothering Peter.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Peter…..” Bucky says, his lips pulled tight, and his brow furrowed in a worried expression.

“Oh, come on Buck, the kid clearly needs some fresh air, and with the two of us there, what’s the worst that could happen?” Steve says, biting down into an apple.

“I was actually hoping it could just be me and Bucky. I was hoping that we could spend some quality time together. Get to know each other better,” Peter was clearly panicked about something. Now, it was Steve’s turn to look worried. 

“Peter, I don’t think that now is the best time to be going off into the middle of the city in small groups. I think that if you’re going to go out this morning, you should have at least two other Avengers with you for safety,” Steve says gently, and with a great deal of sympathy for the kid. It must be hard to be locked up in this tower when you’re used to swinging from building to building.

Peter hesitates looking like he’s caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Fine,” he says hesitantly, and his whole body tenses as if he is waiting for something to happen. When whatever Peter is waiting for doesn’t happen, he resumes, “but I would like it if we could leave around nine. I promised Mr. Stark that I would eat lunch with him.”

“Sure, kiddo,” Bucky says, giving Peter a piercing look, trying to determine what had the kid so spooked. Was it the stalker, or was there something more going on?

 

“Where are you taking us, Peter?” Bucky yells ahead to Peter, who is walking much quicker than him and Steve.

“It’s.. umm… It’s a surprise. We’re almost there.”

A few hundred yards later, Peter stops. Bucky walks into the lot, ahead of Peter and Steve.

“Are you sure this is the right place, Peter? This looks like a warehouse. I mean, I guess we could--” Bucky stops. There’s a loud thud as something large hits the ground. Bucky spins around, and his heart plummets.

Steve lays unconscious on the pavement, and a tall man wearing a Spider-Man mask has a gun against Peter’s temple, and a hand around his throat. Peter’s eyes are wide, and his breathing is fast and shallow.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Peter says, tears welling in his eyes, “I didn’t know what to do.”

“Oh, Petey don’t be sorry! You helped them join all the fun! And I do forgive you for bringing America’s most ancient relic along. I know you didn’t have a choice, and I do love an audience when I work.”

Rage filled every ounce of Bucky’s being. He wanted to rip this monster off of Peter, and make him pay for the look of absolute terror he had instilled into Peter’s eyes. 

“It’s okay, Peter, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Bucky says in the calmest voice he can manage.

“Of course he hasn’t! He’s done beautifully. Now Bucky, will you be a dear, and take these chains and restrain your boyfriend? We can’t have him wandering around doing whatever he pleases. And make sure to make them tight, or you’re not going to like what happens to your little pet spider.”

Bucky reluctantly picks up the chains, and starts to restrain Steve. The entire time, he never once takes his eyes off the creep. When he’s done, the man waves a hand for him to back away from Steve. He does.

Bucky feels so helpless, as he stands there staring at the gun that’s pointed at the boy he swore to protect.

“Great!” The man says, and Bucky can literally hear the leering smile in the man’s voice. “Now we just have to wait for Mr. Star Spangled Banner to wake up!”

The only noise that’s made over the next few minutes is the man humming The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Peter’s panicked breathing. The man has moved to sitting on a crate, and he swings his legs in rhythm with the tune. All the while, the gun never leaves Peter’s temple.

Bucky glares at the man, trying frantically to come up with some sort of plan in his mind, but he can’t seem to focus on anything but that damn gun.

Steve begins to stir.

“Captain!! Welcome back to the land of the living. We’ve been waiting for you. We’re just about to begin the show.”

“Wha--?” Steves mumbles groggily, “What’s happenin'?”

“Oh, bless him,” the man brings a hand to his heart, “He’s so confused. Not to worry Cap! The drug that I injected into you will be out of your system in no time!! Shall we begin? I think we should. My employers will be mad if I’m late, and Bucky knows what happens when you make them mad. Not good things, let me tell you!” 

Bucky looks at him confused. The man notices.

“Oh don’t you worry, James. It will all make sense soon. You see, as I was telling young Peter here, I got access to Tony Stark’s files, and I came across something VERY interesting. An old video file of you,” Bucky can practically see the smile on the man’s face, as he waits patiently for Bucky to put two and two together. 

Steve gets there first.

“YOU BASTARD! DON’T YOU DARE!” Steve yells, straining with all his might against the chains that restrain him, desperate to get free.

Bucky’s heart plummets as he finally understands.

“Желание”

“No,” Bucky pleads,taking a few steps back, fear taking over. The man presses the gun harder against Peter’s head making it clear that if he runs, the man will shoot.

“Ржaвый” Bucky’s eyes go wide.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Steve pleads with the man, still desperately trying to free himself.

“Семнадцать”

“What’s going on?” Peter asks, silent tears rolling down his face.

“Please, stop,” Bucky pleads.

“Рассвет”

“Bucky, look at me! Look at me!” Steve yells.

“Печь”

“You can fight it. You’ve come so far. You can fight it!” But Bucky can’t fight it.

“Девять”

“Please, I’ll do anything just please. Please, stop.” His mind was starting to slip.

“Добросердечный”

Bucky falls to his knees, his hands over his ears, trying to block out the words.

“возвращение на родину”

“Bucky,” Steve’s voice changes. It’s softer. More gentle. Caring.

“Один”

“Bucky, whatever happens, it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault, do you hear me?”

“грузовой вагон”

“I love you, Bucky.”

 

“Доброе утро, солдат.”

 

Good Morning, Soldier.

 

“Я готов отвечать.”

 

Ready to Comply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope that the translations were correct!! I'd very much appreciate a comment if you are enjoying this fic so far. It fuels my motivation to write, and I really need some of that right now!! I promise that I won't be too mean to Bucky, Steve and Peter <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers get a present....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depiction of gun violence and panic attacks.
> 
> Thank you guys for all the nice comments on the last chapter!! They made my day!! <3

“Has anyone see the Super Soldier boys? They’re late for check-in.” Tony asks Natasha, Clint, and Bruce. They are all working on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s paperwork while snacking on some of Bruce’s homemade snickerdoodle cookies.

“Hmm?” Bruce looks up from his papers, with half of a cookie in his mouth, “You mean Steve and Bucky? No, I haven’t seen them all morning.”

“They went out with Peter around nine. They said they were going to be back for lunch, so they should be back any time now,” Clint says reaching for his third cookie.

“Clint, you really should stop eating all the cookies, your going to spoil your lunch!” Natasha teases, as she reaches for her fourth cookie.

“Speaking of lunch, what are we eating when the Super Soldier boys and their sidekick returns,” Tony asks as he grabs a cookie, sits down at the table, and kicks up his feet, “Brucie?”

“What am I? You’re guys’ personal chef? Make your own goddamn food.”

“Yeah, Tony,” Clint chimes in grinning, “and get your feet off the table!” Tony rounds on Clint.

“You know what, Katniss--”

“Sir, you’ve just received an email marked as urgent. It contains a video file, and a set of coordinates. Would you like to view it?”

 

“I love you, Bucky.”

Peter watches with perplexed horror at the scene unfolding around him. He doesn’t understand what’s happening. He just knows that whatever it is, something horrible is about to happen to Bucky. At this point he’s practically curled himself into a ball, with his hands pressed firmly against his ears.

“Доброе утро, солдат.” 

And all of a sudden, Bucky seems fine. He stops moving, he stops protesting, and he stands up, keeping his hands at his sides and his feet shoulder width apart. But it’s not Bucky. He holds himself differently. He looks more hostile, less like the man that had comforted him only a couple nights ago. Steve looks utterly defeated. 

“Я готов отвечать.” Bucky says, his voice even when only a moment ago it had been full of emotion.

“Wow, I’m genuinely surprised that worked. Who knew that Tony had such fun tricks hidden away? It just saved the scientists at base a hell of a lot of time, now that they don’t have to reprogram him,” says the man to nobody in particular. Steve is just staring at Bucky like he just watched someone die right in front of him, “You know, I’ve heard rumors that they want to brainwash ol’ spidey here, but god I will fight tooth and nail to stop that from happening. No one is going to seperate us, Peter, don’t you worry.”

Why is he talking about brainwashing? Peter tries to calm himself down, so that he can work out what this maniac is rambling on about. The cool metal of the gun is pressed uncomfortably against his temple. Everytime he tries to lean away, the man just presses it harder against his head. 

“Peter, what do you say we leave a little gift for your friends back at Avengers Tower, hmm?” Peter doesn’t give the man a response. He refuses to play into this guy’s games any longer.

“Too busy admiring our artwork to give me a reply? No worries. I was like you once. You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, Peter.”

The man’s demeanor suddenly changes. He becomes more serious. More authoritative.

“Asset, retrieve the camera from that bag, and set it up on the tripod. Then, grab that spare gun, and hit record.”

Peter is very confused about who the man is talking to, until Bucky starts to do the things that he just listed. Peter finally understands what’s going on.

“No, no, no, no, no. Bucky, what the hell are you doing?! Why are you listening to him?!” Peter screams at his friend. He doesn’t want to believe it. He doesn’t want to believe that his friend is gone. Both the man and Bucky ignores his outburst.

“Is it recording?” Bucky nods, “Good. Stand right there. Yes, Perfect.”

And like a switch, the man’s creepy-go-lucky personality is back. 

“Hello,” He waves his hand at the camera, “Tony, Nat, Bruce, Clint. How are you all doing? We’re having a grand old time here, aren’t we Peter? Aren’t you going to say hi to your friends? You aren’t going to see them for a while,” Peter gives the guy the best death glare that he can muster. 

“Suit yourself,” he turns back to the camera, “I thought I would leave you guys a little present, since I’m taking away some of your favorite toys. It’s actually kind of like a part two of a gift I already gave you,” the man turns to Bucky.

“Asset, shoot him in the knee.”

It was so sudden, so abrupt that Peter and Steve didn’t even have a chance to protest. Without hesitation Bucky raises the weapon and fires a round into Steve’s knee. 

Steve lets out a blood-curdling scream, and Peter’s whole world collapses. He’s suddenly back in that alley. Back on the cold cement, with his blood pouring out of him. Back to the moment where he thought he was going to die.

And he can’t breathe. And everything seems rushed. And his body feels funny. And he feels like he’s going to throw up. And someone is pushing him forward. And suddenly it’s dark and they’re moving fast. And his heart is pounding so fast that he feels like it might just leap out of his chest.

And there’s no one there to help him.

No one, but the man who shot him.

“It’s okay Peter, breathe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Peter :( 
> 
> #peterparkerneedsahug


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're going to Disneyland.......sort of. <3
> 
> Also, Thor finally makes an appearance! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as an FYI, I updated some of the tags because this story is going in a different direction than I initially intended.
> 
> Thanks for all your lovely comments on the last chapter!!! <3
> 
> You guys are amazing!

Tony’s knuckles turn white as he squeezes his coffee mug tighter and tighter.

Bruce has a hand to his face, his eyes watering.

Natasha sits slightly forward in her chair. Her whole body tense.

Clint has his arms crossed, and his jaw clenched. 

“Asset, shoot him in the knee.” The voice from the television demands.

There’s a loud bang. Everyone flinches.

Steve screams out in pain. Peter screams out in anguish.

The man pushes Peter forward, and he stumbles, falling to the ground. With directions from the man, Bucky comes and picks Peter up, carrying him off to somewhere behind the camera. 

The creep comes to stand in front of the camera. He’s still wearing a Spider-Man mask, and Tony is sickened by the thought of the man using Peter’s identity.

“Hmm…… shoot…... It does not seem like Peter took that well. Don’t worry! I’ll be sure to take extra good care of him. It was nice talking to you,” and he waves at the camera like a child saying goodbye to their grandparents.

And then he’s gone and the screen goes black. There’s a long pause before anyone speaks. Bruce has his head in his hands.

“Okay, this is what we're going to do,” Tony says taking charge, “Romanoff, you go and get Steve. Bring him back here. Banner, you go prep the Med-Bay. Steve’s going to need you, and possibly the kid. Barton, you’re going to try to get a hold of that Heimdall person Thor is always going on about. Tell him that we need Thor here ASAP.”

“How am I supposed to do that, exactly?” Clint asks.

“I don’t know, start by yelling at the sky, I guess.”

Clint looks very skeptical, but gets up and leaves.

“I’m going to stay here, contact Sam, and debrief S.H.I.E.L.D. about the Code White,” says Tony, “The Winter Soldier cannot be allowed to roam free.”

 

Peter wakes up with his hands and feet bound in the backseat of an SUV, unsure whether he passed out, or was drugged. 

“Ahh you’re awake. Did you have pleasant dreams?” The man is sitting next to him, with his head cocked, and an expression of curiosity on his face. Then, Peter’s sleepy mind catches up with his eyes. Peter can see his face. He’s not wearing a mask, a hood, or anything. And it terrifies Peter.

He’s absolutely ordinary.

Peter was imagining some scary face that would lie behind the mask, but this guy had neat black hair, vibrant green eyes, and perfect teeth. He wasn’t even that much older than Peter. The only thing scary about his appearance was this look in his eyes like something was unhinged. 

“You alright, Peter?” His eyes bore into Peter’s, “You look a bit queasy. Please, don’t throw up in the car. I can’t stand the smell of vomit.”

Peter doesn’t say anything. He looks around, trying to get his bearings. Bucky is driving the car. There’s still Steve’s blood on Bucky’s clothes, but it’s dried and crusty. Peter looks outside, but sees nothing but an endless sea of green. They weren’t in New York City anymore. He must have been drugged, because he’s been out for a while. 

“Do you like road trip games, Peter?”

 

“Hello, friends! Heimdall said you were in need of my assistance!”

Clint looks dumbfounded, “I can’t believe that worked.”

“Hey, Thor,” Tony says, cutting right to the chase, “Do you remember that debriefing on the Winter Soldier?”

“Yes, of course! Steve Roger’s good friend! Has something transpired?”

“You could say that,” Natasha says walking into the room covered in blood.

“Steve?” Clint asks.

“In stable condition, but Bruce and the team are going to have a lot of work cut out for them trying to save Steve’s knee.”

“And the kid? Bucky?” Tony asks apprehensively.

“Both long gone, along with the lunatic. It appears that they drove off in a car headed west. I wasn’t able to track them very far. They could be anywhere.”

“Fuck.” Tony slams his hand down on the table.

“Is there any way I can be of assistance?” Thor asks gently.

“Yeah, go get Sam downstairs and tell him to stop screwing around, and get up here already. We need to start organizing searches.” Tony huffs, looking down at the table like he’s trying to form a mental map of New York city in his head.

“Tony…. I’m not sure how useful that will be. By this time they could already be out of the city.” Natasha says carefully trying not to overstep her bounds.

“Damn it I don’t care! We’ve got to do something, we can’t just sit here. We’ve got a potential mass murder on the loose, whose accompanied by a lunatic, and an innocent sixteen year old boy! I’ll be damned if I sit around on my ass just waiting for something to happen.”

“Can we not refer to Bucky as a mass murder? He’s our friend. He’s just not in his right mind right now,” Clint says, his own memories rising painfully to the surface.

“Call him whatever you like. There’s no denying what he is now, though. He’s the Winter Soldier, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts killing again.”

 

About 45 minutes after Peter had woken up, they pull off the road, and drive into a dirt parking lot. Bucky gets out of the car and walks over to Peter’s side. He picks Peter up bridal style.

They walk another 15 minutes thorough a fairly dense forest, until they come across a clearing with the largest compound that Peter had ever seen.

The man runs up to the gate, throws his hands into the air like it’s Disneyland, and turns towards Bucky and Peter positively beaming.

“Welcome to Hydra, Peter. You’re new home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry for all the cliffhangers. I just like to annoy the hell out of my readers :) Please don't hate me, lol.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get real. 
> 
> (As if they weren't already, lol)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. God. 10,000 hits! Y'all are nuts! Thank you so much for being so supportive of this story. I love you all sooo much!! <3

“Welcome to Hydra, Peter. You’re new home.”

While scouring the web trying to find every last detail he could about the Avenger’s, Peter had stumbled upon the name Hydra. They were never associated with anything good.He had always thought they were just some wild conspiracy theory though, like the Illuminati. He never thought they actually existed. Until now.

“What are you talking about?” Peter tries to wriggle out of his bonds, but Bucky’s grip is firm, and doesn’t allow for much movement.

“You’re coming to live with me, Peter.” He states, like it is the most obvious and natural conclusion in the world, “I negotiated the whole thing with Hydra myself. You’re my payment for safely delivering The Asset.”

Peter’s blood runs cold. He doesn’t want to read into what the guy is saying, so his brain chooses to ignore it.

“You see, I grew up here, Peter. I wasn’t allowed friends. It was always tests, tests, tests, and more tests. 

“I've been allowed to read a few boring things here and there over the years, but recently the only thing I was allowed to read for fun was a couple of second-hand comics about you. Peter, you fascinated me. You're story was able to hold my attention like no other story that I had read before. And then I came up with my plan. My fantastic, mind-blowing idea of how to meet you, Peter. I just had to give Hydra what they wanted, and they wanted The Asset back. 

“As a sort of down payment for my excellent work, Hydra allowed me to use the internet. I’ve been reading everything there is to know about you, Peter. I’m your biggest fan.”

 

The compound seemed even bigger on the inside with its high walls, and multitude of buildings. They entered the one that was closest to the gate, which also happened to be the largest. The entire place was eerie. It was poorly lit, and there was hardly anyone around. The people Peter did see, talked in hushed, urgent voices. The three of them entered an elevator at the end of the hall.

“We’re going all the way down,” he informs Peter, “That’s where they keep cute little prisoners, like yourself,” Peter looked at the elevators buttons, and saw that B15 was lit up. This place was gigantic.

“Are you a prisoner?” Peter asks, trying to get more information, and possibly build a little rapport.

“I used to be,” he says casually, “but part of my reward for this latest mission was to earn my freedom.” A tiny spark of hope fills Peter’s chest.

“Great! You technically completed your mission, because Bucky and I are in Hydra. Now let’s all get the fuck out! It can be just the three of us. We can go wherever you want,” Peter smiles with fake enthusiasm, desperate to get out of Hydra while he still can.

“Peter, you misunderstand. I didn’t negotiate my freedom to leave Hydra. I love Hydra. They’re my family. I negotiated my freedom so I could do MORE for Hydra. They don’t let prisoners leave the compound. Now, I can go on missions. Be of use. And don’t worry, Peter. You’ll get there eventually. You won’t be a prisoner forever. You will come to love Hydra just as much as I do.”

“I doubt it,” Peter says under his breath as they leave the elevator.

 

They enter a dark, damp room at the end of the hall. There isn’t much in it except for some old looking computers, what appears to resemble a fancy dentist’s chair with restraints, and a slightly overweight, middle aged man with a mustache.

Without looking up from the file he is holding, the middle aged man says, “You’ve finally done something right for once, huh, Bram? Is he compliant?” Bucky stands guard at the door, still holding Peter. Peter’s stalker, Bram, walks over to the dearest desk, opens the top drawer, and finds a bag a chips. He then hoists himself up onto the desk, and proceeds to eat said bag of chips.

“I’d say! He shot his friend in the knee like it was nothing,” Peter flinches at the mention of Steve.

“Good,” the man snaps the folder looking up at Bram, “then we can move on to phase two.”

“Phase two?” Bram asks, looking lost.

“Yes, Bram, phase two. You didn’t really think we weren’t going to utilize Spider-Man after you successfully managed to bring him all the way here, did you?”

Bram, who up until this exact moment had been nothing by smiles, gives the man a murderous look.

“I was told that Peter was mine. That all I had to do was bring you this big oaf. I delivered. Peter. Is. Mine,” his voice is practically dripping in anger.

The man seems unphased.

“And he will be, Bram. After he’s been made compliant. Just think of how much easier he’ll be to handle.”

“He’ll lose all his personality, and you know it, Harold!” Bram yells at the man, crumpling the chip bag in his fist.

“This is happening, Bram, whether you approve or not. The nine heads have already decided. If you’re unhappy, I could get Damon. I’m sure he would be more than willing to take you to the pit,” Harold threatens.

Bram stiffens. Clearly, Harold had struck a nerve.

“You can’t do that anymore. I’m free. I’m not a prisoner anymore,” Bram says, his voice unsure for the first time. Harold smiles.

“You should really stop believing all the bullshit you hear from the nine heads, Bram. It’s all just words to them. You’re no more free today, then you were last week,” clearly done with Bram, Harold signals Bucky to put Peter in the chair that lays in the middle of the room.

Bucky unceremoniously dumps Peter in the chair, and fastens the restraints. Peter wants to put up a fight, but doing so would require hurting Bucky, and he can’t bring himself to do that. He sits there waiting in fear, unsure of what’s about to happen.

“If you’re going to do it, at least do it in an exciting way. Let’s make muscles here, wipe his own friend’s memory,” Bram suggests, digging through the desk drawer to find a new bag of chips after he had reduced the first bag to crumbs.

“Fine,” Harold sighs and rolls his eyes. He sits down in a chair, grabs a magazine, and puts his feet on the desk, “But you get to command him, Bram. I’m taking my lunch break.”

“Asset,” Bram prompts Bucky.

Bucky moves behind Peter’s field of vision, but he can hear him rustling in a drawer for something.

“Bucky, please,” Peter begs afraid of what’s about to happen, “Bucky, I know you’re in there. Please, don’t do this.”

He appears a minute later with a mouthguard that he shoves in Peter’s mouth. Peter is shaking with fear, tears running down his face.

Bucky retreats behind one of the machines. Peter can hear Bram chewing noisily on chips in the background.

Bucky hits a button, and two large metal plates move down to rest on either side of Peter’s face.

Peter takes a deep breathe in, expecting there to be excruciating pain at any moment.

But it doesn’t come.

Peter looks over at Bucky.

Bucky is staring right back at Peter. And Peter could see it in his eyes.

Bucky was fighting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is ready for some comfort?!!! :D


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know everything's gone to shit when Cap starts swearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter, but I decided I wanted to break up the chapters a little bit differently as I was writing this. This also means that there will be less comfort in this chapter than I initially intended. I know I keep saying the comfort is coming, and it's true, I swear!! 
> 
> So yeah, I'm sorry, I feel like I've been lying to you, but sometimes the story takes on a life of it's own, and I have no control over it, lol.

After thirteen hours of working on Steve’s knee, Bruce was exhausted, but happy. Him and the team of surgeons had been able to repair most of the damage, and Steve would be able to walk again, given time. Bruce sits next to Steve, with a large mug of black tea in one had, and A Brief History of Time in the other hand. He is determined to stay awake, and be there for Steve when he wakes up. The rest of the team was still out searching for Bucky and Peter.

Three hours later the silence in the room is broken so suddenly that Bruce is startled and jumps a little bit.

“I’m going to kill him.” Steve is staring at the ceiling, anger and pain written all over his face.

“Come again?” Bruce says, putting down his book.

“I’m going to fucking kill him, for what he did to Bucky.”

“They’re going to find them, Steve, and we’ll get Bucky back to his old self. I promise.”

“He was doing so well. His panic attacks were becoming less severe and less frequent. And that man…. That fucking son of a bitch……he threw Bucky right back into his worst nightmare.” Silent tears are rolling down Steve’s cheeks as he carefully sits up. 

“The worst part is I couldn’t do a damn thing. I was fucking useless. And Peter! God Peter! I can’t imagine what that kid is going through right now……”

Bruce puts a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder, and looks him directly in the eye.

“They’re going to get through this. They’re strong. They’re fighters, and we’ll be there to help them get back on their feet.”

Steve gives Bruce a sad smile.

“Bucky is pretty stubborn.”

“And Peter’s feisty when he wants to be,” says Bruce with a half hearted laugh, “I’ll let you get some rest,” Bruce turns to go.

“Oh Bruce, one more thing before you go?”

“Yeah?”

“When I was sitting there… after it happened….I got a partial on the license plate.”

 

Nothing made sense.

Where was he? Who was this kid that was staring at him?

“What is he doing? Why isn’t he pressing the button?” An ugly middle-aged man asked the younger man who was sitting a few feet from him.

The younger man was looking at him with confusion.

“Asset. Press the button. Now.” The younger man instructed.

Asset? That sounded familiar. Was he Asset? No, that didn’t feel right, but the man was looking right at him.

“He’s compromised. I’m calling the guards,” The older man says.

“Bucky?” The kid says with hope in his eyes.

Bucky. That has to be him. Or is it? He’s so confused. Everything in his head is so hazy.

He doesn’t even notice when two large men come up behind him, and restrain him.

“Take him to holding cell 273. I’ll send someone to deal with him later,” the older man instructs the guards.

Holding cell? Is he a prisoner? Why is he being restrained?

The guards start to lead him out of the room.

“Bucky, please,” the boy sobs after him, “It’s me, Peter. Please, you have to wake up, Bucky. Steve needs you! I need you!”

Peter.

Steve.

Bucky’s eyes widen. His memory comes flooding back. 

Peter. Oh, God, please no. Peter!

He tries to break the guards’ hold, their hands pulling at him.

He manages to shake them free, and he’s running forward toward his sweet, innocent, loving kid.

“Peter,” he says his voice breaking.

And then there’s a prick at the back of his neck.

And his world is going dark.

And the ground comes up to meet him. 

He hits the floor like a ton of bricks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I told my younger sister that I was writing a fic about Bucky, Steve, and Peter, and her response was, and I quote, "ew those are the worst characters."
> 
>  
> 
> EXCUSE ME?!?! DO YOU WANT TO COME OVER HERE AND TELL ME THAT TO MY FACE?!
> 
> No one speaks about my babies like that and gets away with it. >:(
> 
> So if you would like to tell my sister how wrong she is, please leave a comment down below, lol.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The closest thing you're going to get to comfort for a while. You better enjoy it while it lasts!! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depictions of torture.
> 
>  
> 
> Can I just adopt all of you?? You are all so kind and lovely <3

Bucky wakes up on the floor of a cold, damp, dark cell with a device secured around his neck. He pulls at it with all of his strength, but it doesn’t come off.

“Peter? Steve?” He says softly into the darkness, hoping that they were somewhere nearby, instead of out there with those monsters. He gets no response.

He starts to feel his way around the room. It’s not very large, and at most is six feet by eight feet. The ceilings are just tall enough to where Bucky can stand upright. Everything feels like smooth concrete, except for the door which is metal.

He breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn’t come across Peter or Steve’s unconscious bodies, but instantly regrets it, because that means that they’re still out there with them, and he’s stuck in here unable to protect them. Bucky tries his luck to see if he can break the door open with brute strength, but unsurprisingly it doesn’t even bend a fraction of an inch.

He begins to pace in the confined space, trying to remember everything that has happened in the past few hours. At least, he thinks it's only been a few hours because Peter and him looked to be in okay shape physically, given that they were in a Hydra base.

Bucky remembers arriving at the warehouse. He remembers Peter’s stalker being there. He remembers tying Steve up. It’s when Steve starts to wake up that Bucky starts to hit a mental wall. 

“Fuck!” Bucky yells into the darkness, slamming his palms against the cool concrete. He then turns, so that his back hits the wall, and he slides to the floor, his head in his hands.

He stays there, on the floor, for what seems like hours. 

His head snaps up when he finally hears muffled footsteps approaching.

He readies himself, prepared to charge the door the minute it opens. He never gets the chance.

As soon as the door is opened he is met with blinding light, and excruciating pain. Bucky cries out, falling to the ground, desperately pulling at the device around his neck as it sends wave after wave of pain through his body.

He is half-aware of a large thump as something hits the ground on the other side of the cell.

“See you later, Petey” a voice says, “Don’t worry, I won’t be gone long.”

Peter.

Bucky tries to get up, but his limbs feel funny, and his breathing is labored.

“Ahh don’t worry about that, Bucky! The effects will wear off in a moment. Just need to make sure you aren’t going to choke me to death or something,” the voice laughs casually, “You boys be nice to each other! I’ll see you soon.”

The door closes, and they are plunged into darkness once again. 

A low groan comes from the other side of the room.

“Peter?” Bucky crawls forward, carefully feeling his way across the floor, until he reaches Peter. 

He’s ice cold, shivering, and drenched in sweat. Due to the darkness Bucky can’t even tell the extent of his injuries, or even if he’s conscious. He gingerly picks up the boy and carries him to the opposite wall, so that he won’t be right in front of the door.

Bucky sits down, and lays Peter parallel to the wall, with his head in Bucky’s lap. He then gently starts to brush back Peter’s sweat soaked hair, so that it won’t cling to his forehead.

“I’m so sorry, Peter,” he says in a low soft voice, silent tears rolling down his face, “I’m so so sorry. I swore that I would never let anything happen to you, but I couldn’t control it. I thought…” he pauses, taking a deep breath, “I thought I was strong enough to resist. I thought I could fight it.”

“Sss not ur fault.” It’s barely audible, but the words are there, “sss mine.”

“No, Peter,” Bucky says firmly, but gently, “It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong. You were put in an impossible position. You had no other options.”

Bucky pauses for a moment, too scared to ask the question he really needs to know the answer to. When Peter says nothing, though, Bucky somehow gets the words out of his mouth.

“Peter?”

“Hmm?”

“Where’s Steve?”

Peter doesn’t respond for so long, that Bucky’s scared he might have fallen unconscious. When Peter does speak, his voice is sullen.

“You shot him….... Don’t you remember?”

 

Bucky’s whole world stops. He shot Steve? No, he couldn’t have. Peter must be lying. He could never hurt Steve. He would never hurt Steve.

“Did I kill him?” Bucky says his voice breaking, his body paralyzed with fear, not wanting to know the answer.

“I...I don’t think so. I don’t know. I don’t remember much after the gunshot.” Bucky feels Peter tense slightly underneath him, like something is bothering him, but doesn’t pry.

“He’s got to be okay. He’s Steve….” Bucky says trying to reassure himself, his eyes wide, glassy, and overflowing with tears, “I couldn’t have killed my best friend….. I couldn’t have……”

“I’m sure he’s okay, Bucky,” Peter’s hand finds his, and Peter gives it a little squeeze, “He’s been through a lot more than Bram could ever put him through.”

“Bram?” Bucky asks. 

“It’s his name,” the grip on Bucky’s hand tightens, “the psycho who brought us here.”

“Peter,” Bucky pauses, not sure how to phrase his next question, even though he had spent most of his life living this hell, “Peter, what did they do to you?”

Bucky feels Peter shake a little. Out of fear, or out of anger, Bucky doesn’t know, but Peter doesn’t answer the question. And again, Bucky doesn’t pry.

They sit there in silence for a few minutes, Bucky running his hands through Peter’s curls, trying to comfort him.

He begins to sing a Russian lullaby under his breath that a little girl taught him long ago.

Peter’s breathing evens out as he drifts off into what will hopefully be a peaceful sleep.

Long after Peter had gone to sleep, Bucky continues to sing the lullaby, and he remembers the girl, and the lessons she had taught him to survive Hydra.

He wishes that Natasha could be here now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sent my sister all of your comments. We were unable to sway her. I will be having a lengthy heated discussion with her the next time I see her, lol. 
> 
> Also, the thought of Natasha and Bucky being friends while they are basically enslaved to Hydra helps me sleep at night <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm a terrible person. Don't hate me. <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Lots of torture. If that sort of thing bothers you, skip to the end chapter notes for a summary.
> 
> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry........................ but it had to happen.
> 
> Love you guys <3

Peter wakes with a start, his spider senses warning him of a coming threat. But, Peter doesn’t need his spider senses to know that he’s not safe. To know that Bram is coming back. To know that it’s going to happen all over again, until Hydra sees the desired results.

Peter tenses, and Bucky must have sensed it, because he stands up, and puts himself between Peter and the door, getting ready to fight.

Peter knows it’s useless. Bram’s thought out every possible scenario. There is no escape. There is no rescue.

But seeing, or rather feeling, Bucky get prepared to fight even though it’s pointless, fuels Peter’s desire to fight too. He gets up and stands next to Bucky. He closes his eyes, knowing that he will be blinded the minute the door opens anyway, and trusts in his senses to find the men.

The door opens and Peter leaps off the ground, and latches on to the upper torso of one of the guards, causing the guard to fall to the ground. Peter begins to punch him, when he hears that damn voice.

“Peter, I would stop that if I were you. You don’t want your little friend to die, do you?”

Peter’s senses had been so honed in on the guard that he hadn’t even realized that Bucky was grunting in pain, obviously trying to hold back screams. Peter opens his eyes, and looks back into the cell. 

The sight took all the fight out of Peter.

Bucky was writhing on the floor, and clawing at his neck so hard that blood had started to seep out of the long gashes. Peter stares brokenhearted at the device.

The guard he had beaten to the floor, gets ups, wipes blood off his face from where his nose had broken, and roughly grabs Peter, forcing him away from the door. Peter hears the door slam shut behind him.

“Peter, you can’t just go attacking guards!” Bram says, running up from behind Peter, and then swinging an arm around Peter’s shoulders, like they’re friends, “What kind of precedent are you setting for other prisoners?? I’m in charge of you. You’re going to make me look bad!! I think you need to be taught a lesson, Peter.”

Peter shakes his head vigorously, looking Bram in the face with big Bambi eyes, “Please. Not again.”

“Peter you screwed up. Now, be a man, and take responsibility for your actions.”

 

He was back in the chair, with his arms and legs strapped down, the mouth guard shoved cruelly into his mouth, and the metal plates slowly descending towards his face.

Peter begins pulling against the restraints in vain, as the fear sets in.

The plates touch his face, and almost instantly ever nerve ending seems like it's set on fire. Peter screams into the mouthguard like his life depends on it.

It seems to last for days. 

Every thought from his mind is obliterated.

There is nothing but the pain.

When it stops, Peter doesn’t even notice. His entire body numb to any sort of stimuli. His mind completely blank.

“You know, I do hate seeing you like this, Peter. It breaks my heart,” Peter hardly even registers that there is someone speaking, “Well, now that you’re prepped, and ready to go, let’s get to work, shall we?”

 

Peter gasps as he is pulled up out of the ice water tank. 

A loud speaker starts saying words in Russian.

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

“Soldier?”

Peter gags on the water in his throat, trying to get the words out, but he’s too slow.

He goes back under. His lungs burn, deprived of oxygen. He can no longer feel his body because of the frigid temperatures. Just when he is about to pass out, they bring him up again.

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

“Soldier?”

This time, he’s able to get the words out.

“Ready to comply.” 

He’s handed gun. Peter knows that there’s no risk giving him a loaded weapon. Not when there are about twenty guns aimed at him ready to fire should he decide to misbehave.

“Shoot.” One of the guards compands.

Peter raises the weapon and fires at the target that they have set up.

“Surrender.”

Peter reluctantly hands over the weapon, knowing what’s about to happen.

The ice water shocks him as much as it had the first twenty or so times.

And it happens again.

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

And again.

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

And again.

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

And again. And again. And again. And Again.

For hours.

When Peter is finally dropped into his cell, he doesn’t even have the energy to acknowledge Bucky.

He just lays there, too tired to give a damn about anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Peter is tortured as Hydra tries to program Peter's mind to respond to trigger words. While Peter starts off by fighting, by the end of the chapter he is beyond broken.
> 
>  I changed up the trigger words for Peter. I'm kind of curious to see what you guys think they mean! If you have an idea, leave a comment <3
> 
> #peterneedsahug
> 
> #theauthorneedstostop


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's Peter Parker? I don't know any Peter Parkers.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Creepy possessive Bram.... but you guys already knew that.......
> 
> Ummmm... 500 kudos.... what?..... wig obliterated.
> 
> For those who are curious what Peter's triggers meant, I will leave it in the end of chapter notes.

Even in the pitch black cell, Bucky could tell when it was morning because every morning Bram would come for Peter. And every morning, Bucky would fight to protect Peter from the life Bucky had lived. And every morning, he would fail, and his neck would be sticky with blood.

Peter had stopped fighting long ago.

Every night a guard would carry Peter into the cell, and drop him onto the floor. Every night Bucky would try to get Peter to say something. Anything. He just wanted Peter to have some part of himself to hold on to. Something for him to fight for. 

But Peter never talked, anymore. He didn’t even cry. He would just lie there, his eyes glassy and unfocused, until he would drift into a fitful sleep.

Bucky tried everything to ease the kid’s suffering. He sang. He told stories of Steve and him growing up. He would talk about all the places they could visit once they escaped. He once even just started listing books he would like to read, just so that Peter could hear his voice. So that he could have something else to focus on, besides the pain. Besides Bram.

They never came for Bucky. It was always Peter. Bucky had been expecting to be dragged away and reprogrammed towards the beginning of their imprisonment, but as the days passed by, and no one came it dawned on him what they were doing.

They were breaking Bucky’s spirit. He was being forced to watch as someone he cared about slowly lost their mind. Because he knew that it was only a matter of time before Peter would walk through those doors, instead of being carried, and he wouldn’t know who Bucky is. Or Steve. Or Tony. Or even May. His entire life would be tucked away so deep down, that Peter may never be able to access it again. Peter was slowly becoming the new Winter Soldier, and Bucky was powerless to stop it. All he could do was prolong the inevitable, and keep the kid as comfortable as he could.

When the day came, and the door opened, and Peter was standing upright, Bucky felt a twinge of guilt. For a moment he had been so happy to see Peter not lying defeated on the floor. But, Bucky knew what it meant, and Bram had come to gloat.

“Hey, Bucky! How’s cell life treating you? I came to introduce you to someone special! It’s the Winter Soldier: test subject number seven!” Bram raises his arms towards Peter like he showing off a prize in a game show. “You know, part of me misses the old Peter, but this model has its benefits. He so much more stoic,” Bram pinches Peter’s cheek. Peter doesn’t move a muscle. His eyes stare straight ahead, like they are looking at nothing. Like they’re dead, “It gives him a more chiseled appearance. It’s quite appealing.”

Bucky doesn’t rise to the bait. He just stares quietly at Bram, and contemplates all the ways he will make him suffer.

“Anyway, Buckybear, I thought you would like to see the finished product. Come now, asset,” Bram pauses with a grin on his face letting the word that had been used against him so many times, now being used against Peter, to sink in, “We have work to do.”

The door closes, and Bucky knew that he was now truly alone, with no one to keep him company in this black void.

 

It had been three weeks and five days since Peter and Bucky had been taken, and they still had nothing. Steve was taking it especially hard. He was finally out of bed, but he could still barely walk, and only with the assistance of a cane. There were huge bags under his eyes, and he hadn’t shaven since his rescue. Steve spent hours pouring over cctv footage, trying to find some sort of clue.

“Hey,” Natasha says entering the common space that the Avenger’s shared, “I finished scouting all the Hydra bases that I know of. I’m sorry, Steve. There weren’t any signs of them.”

Steve takes a deep breath in, but doesn’t say anything. The amount of times he’s been let down these past few weeks is eating away at him.

Suddenly, Bruce runs into the room, slightly out of breath, with a handful of papers.

“You guys! I think-- I think I found something.”

Steve barely looks up, so used to being disappointed.

“There have been at least two assassinations, and one assassination attempt in the last four days. I think the Winter Soldier has resurfaced, and I think I know who his next target is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Desire- Peter's DESIRE in life is to be part of the Avengers.  
> Lonely- Without Hydra, Peter would never have found his super family and he would have been LONELY.  
> One-The year Peter is born is two thousand and ONE.  
> Daybreak-DAYBREAK is a word to symbolize Peter's new life with Hydra. (Bucky also has this trigger).  
> Tank-The TANK is where Peter was programmed and where he will return if he defects.  
> Nine- The NINE heads of Hydra. (Bucky also has this trigger)  
> Docile- Peter will become DOCILE after his programming is complete  
> Titanium- Bucky, who has become his failed protector, has an arm made out of TITANIUM  
> Seven- Peter is the SEVENth person to go through the Winter Soldier program.  
> Warehouse- Peter first entered Hydra's captivity when he was taken at the WAREHOUSE


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That moment when Peter goes through an emo phase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I'm breaking all your hearts <3 
> 
> Help is on it's way!!

“So, how does Bruce know this guy is the next target?” Sam asks through the earpiece, wind rustling in the background as he flies over the city towards the location.

“He did some digging. He found out that there was a four person group that was assigned to an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. operation to stop illegal weapon dealings orchestrated by Hydra. The two men that were assassinated were part of that group. There was also a woman on the team, but she managed to slip away, and is now in hiding. That leaves one man unaccounted for. The agents must have become compromised, which means that this man’s life is in danger, but it is also our best chance at catching Bucky,” Natasha explains.

“Why the hell wasn’t this man extracted by S.H.I.E.L.D. when the other agents went down?!” Sam yells.

“He believes that his cover has not been blown, and begged the higher-ups to remain assigned to the mission. He said he was so close to getting the information that they needed to take it all down. They higher-ups want this mission to succeed so badly that they let the man stay,” Clint says disapprovingly. 

“That’s a load of bullshit. This man is going to end up dead, if we don’t get there soon,” Sam grumbles.

“Sam and I are almost on sight,” Tony says, “We’re going in as soon as we get there.”

“Thor and I are one minute out, heading south-bound. We’ll meet you guys there,” says Nathasha.

“Barton, what’s your 20?” Tony asks.

“I’m on the roof of the building directly East of the location.”

“Make sure that no one enters or leaves, except us. We might not get another chance at this.”

“Understood.”

 

Clint has his bow at the ready, his eyes constantly moving, searching for any movement. He sees Tony and Sam go inside the building, with Thor and Nat following at their heels.

When a couple minutes go by, and Clint hears nothing, he starts to get a little antsy.

“Status?”

“The mission’s a bust. We’re too late,” Natasha says.

“Shit,” Clint exclaims.

“Time to pack up and head on home, kiddos,” Tony says with frustration.

“Steve will be most dismayed by what happened here,” Thor says sounding empathetic.

“Let me break it to him,” Sam says, “I’ve gotten used to delivering bad news over the past few weeks. I know how to soften the blow.”

“See everyone back at the tower?” Tony asks.

“Yeah, be there in a few,” Clint says.

He begins to pack up his stuff, when he hears movement behind him. He whips around, arrow drawn, ready to shoot.

At first, there appears to be no one else on the roof with him, but then he spots the figure standing in the opposite corner, just staring at him. Clint is spooked. Hardly anyone can get the drop on him.

The figure is wearing a skin tight jet black suit and mask.

Clint slowly approaches, his weapon aimed directly at the figure. He stays close to the wall that encloses the stairs for the roof access, so that his back is covered.

“Who are you?” Clint asks.

The figure says nothing, not moving a muscle.

“Identify yourself!”

With lightning fast speeds the figure raises his arm, and something is moving at Clint fast. He doesn’t have time to react. His hand gets slammed onto the wall behind him. When Clint looks up at his hand, he is surprised at what he finds.

Webs.

“Hey guys! I’ve got myself in a bit of a sticky situation. Literally.” Clint says not taking his eyes off of Peter.

“What’s the situation, Barton?” Tony asks.

“I have eyes on Peter. At least, I think it’s Peter,”

Something must have set the kid off, because he leaps off the building dropping out of sight. 

“WHAT? What do you mean you have eyes on Peter?” Tony yells into his ear.

“Just lost visual! He’s headed east of my location. Approach with caution. Potentially hostile.”

“Shit,” Here hears Sam say under his breath.

Clint grabs his knife from its holster, and begins the slow task of hacking away at the webs that envelope his hand, and he only has one thought on his mind.

What the hell happened to the kid?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter as a villain is actually quite a terrifying thought. Like, he's so sneaky. D:


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guys remember Veronica, right??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, there have been a lot of new people leaving comments down below. So, for all the new people who have stumbled upon this terribly depressing fanfic, welcome to the fam! I'm sure everyone here will inform you about how much they hate me for ruining these character's lives. You guys are all amazing, though, and I wish I could give you all hugs <3
> 
> Second, if you read that chapter summary, and you were like "Who the hell is Veronica?", then let me provide you with the Wiki definition of Veronica. "Veronica is a mobile service module deployed from a space satellite. It was designed by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner to respond to a Hulk rampage. It is stocked with automatic assembled parts of the Iron Man Armor: Mark XLIV for real time customization of the Hulkbuster armor and versatile combat capability, as well as walls of a self assembled electrified cage whose sum form a containment prison." -MCU Wiki.
> 
> Third, sorry for the shorter chapter, but I wanted to end it here for reasons I can not tell you yet.
> 
> Fourth, I'm not in love with this chapter, but I've been working, and re-working it for hours, and I'm not getting any happier with it, so I'm just going to post it.

“I’ve got eyes on him. He’s headed North on 5th,” Sam says.

“What’s the plan?” Natasha asks.

“Well, believe it or not, I started working on a side project after both Clint and Bucky went through the joys of brainwashing. I figured we’d all want a little assistance when this inevitably happened again. That’s why I did a little upgrade on Veronica. You guys are going to love it. Veronica, deploy project 37 when I give the signal,” Tony says.

“Ready to deploy on your command, sir.”

“Project 37?” Sam asks.

“Yeah, think of it like the cage we use for Hulkbuster, only it’s designed to contain moody superheros instead of gigantic green rage monsters.”

“Great, so, why are we waiting to deploy it?” Sam asks.

“Spider-Man is too fast, and agile. We need him to stand still long enough for the cage to form,” Tony explains, “It takes forty five seconds for the components to get here from orbit. When I give Veronica the go ahead, we all have to stop and stall Spider-Man long enough for the cage to form around him. Sam and I will fly ahead to push Peter backwards and toward the ground. Natasha you meet him on the ground, and make sure he doesn’t take off. Thor you guard the perimeter, in case he slips by us,” Tony pauses for a few seconds, “Everyone in position?”

“Affirmative,” They each say into their comm. 

“Okay, Veronica, cut her loose,” Tony says.

“Project 37 inbound. Estimated time till arrival: 45 seconds.”

 

Natasha could see Peter swinging between the buildings in front of her. He was moving faster than she had ever seen the kid move before, granted she had only seen him on video. 

Tony and Sam ambush Peter, flying out from behind the buildings on either side of him. The kid nearly doges, but Tony is able to cut him off at the last second.

For a minute it looks like Peter might put up a fight, but he retreats back towards Natasha. Sam flies above him, forcing Peter to stay close to the ground. As Peter draws nearer to Natasha, she holds her hands up, to show she doesn’t want to hurt him.

“Woah, kid slow down. It’s me, Natasha. You remember me, right?”

“20 seconds,” Tony says in her ear.

Peter comes to a stop in front of her. He doesn’t say anything. Natasha tries again.

“And see there’s Tony back there. And I know you didn’t get a chance to meet Sam or Thor, but I’m sure you’ve seen them on TV. We’re the good guys. You don’t have to be afraid anymore,”

“10 seconds.”

Peter still doesn’t respond. He tilts his head, like he’s confused, but then rights it again. That’s when he takes off into a dead sprint.

“Five seconds, Natasha!”

Natasha sees only one way this is going to work. She runs head on with the kid, tackling him to the ground.

“Three, Two, One.”

Thunk….Thunk….Thunk..Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.Thunk.

They are plunged into darkness.

Peter who was tense seconds before hand, instantly relaxes. Natasha gets off him, and stands up.

“Status?” Tony asks.

“Target contained. Appears non-hostile for the moment,” She could hear Peter’s heavy breathing start to slow, “Tony, how are we getting out of this thing?” 

“There is a panel that opens up when it’s attached to a secure vehicle. The vehicle is inbound and should be here in a minute.”

“Understood.”

Natasha crouches next to the kid.

“Hey, Peter? Are you okay. I slammed into you pretty hard. You didn’t break anything did you?”

No response.

“Peter?”

She reaches forward and gently grabs his wrist to check for his pulse. It’s steady.

“Hey guys, Peter’s non-responsive. I think we should call ahead to Bruce, just in case Peter hit his head in that last tackle.”

“On it,” Sam says.

Natasha reaches out, and touches Peter on the head. When he doesn’t fight back, she gently lifts Peter’s head and places it in her lap. She carefully pulls off his mask, and brushes Peter’s hair back from his forehead.

“It’s going to be okay, Peter. You’re safe now. You’re going home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY PETER IS FINALLY GOING HOME!!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Bucky's still MIA though.........


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you mind if I call you Peter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love you guys!!!
> 
> You guys are the best audience on this site <3

Steve leaps from the couch as soon as he hears the elevator doors open. He grabs his cane, and hobbles as quickly as he can over to the source of the noise. He’s expecting everyone to be there, but it’s just Clint.

“Where is everyone?” Steve asks, peering around Clint as if the other members of the team are somehow hiding behind the man. Clint’s face is devoid of emotion, but Steve can see the turmoil in his eyes.

“Do you want to sit down? Maybe get something to drink?” Clint says deflecting the question.

“Just tell me what happened, Barton.” 

Clint lets out a sigh, and pauses like he’s gathering his thoughts.

“The mission was a bust. The man was dead when we got there. We were all packing up, and heading out, when….” Clint stops himself.

“When what? What the hell happened.”

“Steve, Peter was there. Only…… only it wasn’t Peter. Something's not right about the kid.”

“Oh……” Steve stays quiet for a long time, absorbing the new information, “That doesn’t answer my question. Where is everyone? Why are you the only one back?”

“I got separated from the group,” Clint subconsciously rubs his wrist, “The rest of the team went to go apprehend the kid.”

“Do you know if they got him?” Steve asks.

“Yeah, they did, thanks to some of Tony’s new tech. The team’s bringing him in now.”

“And Bucky?” Steve asks cautiously.

“Sorry, Steve, he must have left before we got there. Don’t worry, though. Now that we have Peter, we’ve got fresh leads on where they’re holding him. We just have to get the kid to talk first.” Steve looks at Clint in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Well that’s the thing, Steve. Peter hasn’t said a word since I first saw him on the roof. Tony’s saying that the kid is probably just traumatized, and we need to give him time. I don’t know though…… The way that he snuck up on me….. The way he carried himself. Something’s not right.”

 

Since leaving project 37, Peter had become progressively more and more agitated. He became so distressed that he almost punched Natasha in the face. Thankfully, Natasha had seen it coming, and ducked just in time. Needless to say, Peter was restrained after that. 

They ended up putting Peter in one of the interrogation rooms, that Natasha had no idea existed up until this point. The sheer number of rooms in the tower never ceased to amaze her. 

“Remind me again why we are putting a sixteen year old boy in what is essentially a cell, after he just managed to escape from whatever hell he has been living over the past few weeks?” Steve asks, appalled at how they were treating Peter.

“First of all, he’s a sixteen year old with super strength. Second of all, he’s a sixteen year old with super strength who almost took Natasha’s head clean off her shoulders. Third of all, it’s not a cell, it’s an interrogation room. We just want to keep everyone safe, Cap.” Tony says, “Now Natasha, if you’re not too shaken up, I think you should be the one to go talk to the kid. The only time when he hasn’t been on edge is with you. Granted, he was also the most enraged with you. My point is, he’s shown the widest range of emotions in your presence, so I think you have the best chance at getting him to talk.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Natasha says and starts heading for the interrogation room.

“This is absolutely ridiculous! We should be getting this kid a blanket, not questioning him,” Steve says, waving his hands in exasperation.

“I understand that this doesn’t exactly line up with your moral code, Rogers, but we can’t have Bucky out on the streets taking the lives of innocent people! He’s taken too many lives already! I don’t want anyone else to be orphaned!” Tony snaps.

Steve looks at Tony, a hurt expression written all over his face.

“And you think I do?” Steve walks out of the room without another word.

“Shit. Steve! Steve, I’m sorry! I’m an ass!! Steve!” Tony calls after him.

Steve doesn’t answer.

“Fuck.” 

 

Natasha walks into the room, and sees Peter sitting in the corner, even though there are perfectly good chairs to sit on. Natasha walks past her own chair, and sits down beside Peter.

“Hey, Peter, how are you holding up? Need me to get you some water, or maybe something to eat?”

Peter just glares at her.

“Peter, do you know where Bucky is? Do you know where you were being held?”

No response.

“Do you the name of Bucky’s handler?”

Nothing.

She was getting nowhere with this kid. She decides to just sit there, and let Peter get accustomed to her presence. The kid was so on edge.

He just needed to relax. He was so much more relaxed when he was in Project 37.

Project 37…….

“Hey Friday?” she says to the AI, “I’ve got a bit of a headache. Would you mind killing the lights in interrogation room two.”

The lights go out, and it’s exactly what Natasha was hoping for.

Peter instantly lets himself relax. Something about being in the dark is comforting to Peter.

“That’s better, isn’t it Peter?”

And finally Peter speaks.

“Please, just let me go. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know who any of you are. I need to get back, or he won’t be happy. Please, just let me go.”

Natasha’s heart breaks into a million pieces as she finally understands.

“Hey kid, what’s your name?”

Peter looks at her through the darkness, confused.

“I don’t have a name. I’m the Asset.”

Natasha gives the kid a sad, reassuring smile, trying her best to hold back tears.

“That’s okay. We can give you a name. How does that sound? My name is Natasha. Do you mind if I call you Peter?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Cries internally. Why I do this to myself? Why do I subject people to this?
> 
> Evil me: Because it's fun.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bram is not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depictions of torture
> 
> Sorry, for people who read this as soon as it came out, and wanted the warning. I forgot to put it in :(
> 
> Hey, sorry for the delay on the update!! Something came up last night, so I couldn't write :(
> 
> BUT I"M HERE NOW :D
> 
> Also, this chapter starts the day after Peter becomes the Winter Soldier.
> 
> You're all amazing, btw <3

Bucky wasn’t surprised when Bram came for him the next morning. They had finished with Peter, and now they would move on to him.

“Good morning, soldier,” Bram says leaning against the door frame, as he eats an apple, “Did you sleep well? I sure hope so, because we have lots to do.”

“Where’s Peter?” Bucky demands, his voice rough from dehydration.

“I don’t know any Peters,” Bram turns to the guards, “Do you know who he’s talking about? Any Peters? No?” the guards shake their heads.

“Stop playing games, Bram.”

“Oh, but I’m serious Buckybear. I don’t know any Peters. I used to know a Peter, but he goes by something a little different these days,” Bram smiles tauntingly, “If you must know, the Asset is out on assignment right now. He should be back soon though. It should be a fairly quick job. We’re starting him off easy. Showing him the ropes.”

Bucky’s chest tightens as he thinks of Peter completing an “assignment”.

“Now shall we get started?”

 

At the warehouse, Bucky had been caught off guard, but here at the facility it was different. Bucky had had weeks to prepare for this moment.

Before he had been taken, Bucky had been working with specialists on techniques to help ground him in case the triggers were ever used against him. 

Bucky closes his eyes, starts taking deep breaths, and focuses all of his attention on the reason that he is fighting.

“Longing. Rusted. Seventeen. Daybreak. Furnace. Nine. Benign. Homecoming. One. Freight Car.”

Bucky smiles as he exhales, still under control of his own mind. A guard tries to hand him a gun. He doesn’t take it.

“Ahh, we’ve got a fighter? Very well. Again,” Bram says, as a painful jolt of electricity rushes through Bucky via his arm. The words begin to play.

This time it’s harder. He feels his mind start to slip around Benign, but he is able to recover.

“I thought we were getting started?” Bucky smirks at Bram, “If you guys aren’t ready, I can go back to my cell. I don’t mind.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Bucky dear, this is only the beginning. It will kick in, just you wait.”

 

Even though they went well into the evening, Bucky was able to keep control.

He just had to remember why he was fighting, and it wasn’t hard to forget.

He was fighting to protect his family from the Winter Soldier.

He was fighting to protect his family from himself.

 

The next few days follow the same pattern, with Bram becoming more and more frustrated as Bucky continues to resist. However, Bucky knows that Bram can see him weakening, and Bucky knows that it’s only a matter of time before he will no longer be able to fight back.

Halfway through the fifth day Bram leaves to go talk to a guard in the hallway. Bucky strains to listen, as he gulps in deep breaths of air, pain still rushing through his veins. He can’t make out what they are saying, but when Bram comes back in he looks livid.

“Aww, did the little boy not get his way?” Bucky taunts Bram, half delirious with pain. Bram ignores Bucky, and turns to one of the guards.

“Crank it up to fifteen,” Bram says quietly to the guard, Bucky just barely making out what he is saying, “We need to get this done quickly. We just lost our other Asset.”

Peter. 

Bucky almost stops breathing so he can hear what comes next.

“Is he dead?”

Bucky tenses.

“No, the Black Widow got her grubby little paws on my precious boy. Who knows the damage they will cause after we put so much effort into him. But two can play at that game,” Bram slams his hand down on the controls, and electricity starts pulsing through Bucky. 

He lets out a long and terrible scream, as his body jerks uncontrollably, but Bucky couldn’t be happier.

He’s safe. Peter is safe. And Natasha is there to help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #savebucky


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DUM-E!!!!!! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I resurrected Dum-E, because who doesn't love Dum-E?
> 
> <3

“I’ll be right back, okay Peter?” The kid nods.

Natasha walks quickly into the common space. Clint is there rubbing lotion into his hands. He looks up when Natasha enters the room.

“Damn webs,” he says holding up his hands to show her, “they make your skin feel like sandpaper.” 

“Yeah, that’s great, Clint,” she says, not really hearing what he’s saying because her mind is still racing. Clint either doesn’t care that she’s not really paying attention, or doesn’t notice, “Hey, can you make sure no one goes into interrogation room number two until I get back?”

“Yeah, sure. Everything all right?”

“Umm to be honest, no. Everything is shitty, but I’ll fill you in later,” she starts to walk out of the room to go find Tony, “Also, under no circumstances do you turn on the lights in that room! Clear?” She yells over her shoulder.

“Crystal.” Clint shouts back. 

 

Natasha finds Tony in the garage where he is blasting Led Zeppelin, and yelling at Dum-E. He seems agitated. She briefly wonders if it has something to do with Steve. She passed the gym on the way to the garage, and she saw Steve beating the shit out of a punching bag. 

Natasha starts to rethink her decision to tell Tony first, and is about to go find someone else, when Tony stops her.

“Uh, uh, uh,” He says shaking his head, “Where do you think you’re going, Romanoff?” He puts down the wrench that he had been waving angrily at Dum-E, and looks her dead in the face with no hint of his usual humor, “Tell me.”

“It’s not good, Tony,” she says reluctantly, “Peter’s been compromised. He’s the.. Well, um, he’s the new Winter Soldier.”

Tony doesn’t seemed phased. He just purses his lips,and nods, walking back over to the work bench. He starts to fidget with the project that lays on the bench top. 

“You know, the first time I saw the kid all I could think was, this kid has guts. He’s going out everynight in his costume, trying to make the world a better place. He doesn’t care it he gets hurt, just as long as no one else does. Way better kid then I ever was. All I was concerned about at his age was girls, booze, and cars. God, I was a douche. I still am one. But this kid, he’s something special,” Tony pauses, and puts down his tools, letting his hands rest on the table. He’s silent for a long moment, like he’s fighting some internal demon, “I knew it the moment I saw him. I think we all did. We just didn’t want to admit that we had failed him. He’s a good kid. He doesn't deserve this. Nat…. Please tell me you can get through to him.”

He looks over at her, and Natasha can see the tears forming in his eyes, but he doesn’t let them fall.

“I can try,” She says. Not a promise. Not a guarantee. Just the best that she can do.

Tony nods.

“What should I tell the others?” Natasha asks.

“Tell them the truth. Tell them that Peter is not himself, and that he needs space. We need the rest of the team focused, if we’re going to find Bucky.”

“Okay,” Natasha looks at him, concerned. It looks like he’s been to hell and back. They all looked like that, on a good day, but he looks really bad, “Before I go, is there anything I need to know about you and Steve?”

Tony looks taken aback, then shakes his head.

“Sometimes your levels of observation scare me, Natasha. Nothing to worry about. Just me being my typical asshole self. I played the whole ‘my parents were murdered by your boyfriend’ card. He didn’t take to it very well,” He goes over to the liquor cabinet and starts to pour himself some whiskey.

“Tony….” Natasha says disapprovingly, “We need everyone on the same side here.”

“I know. I know. I’m just giving him some air. I’m about to go apologize right now. That’s what this is for,” Tony says downing the whiskey in his hand, “It’s fine. Really, Nat. You focus on getting the kid back, and getting intel on Hydra.”

“I expect you to give the most heartwarming apology ever, Tony,” she says eyeing him as she starts walking backward towards the door, “I won’t settle for anything less than that!”

“Cross my heart,” Tony says as he draws a little x over his heart with his finger.

 

Peter was right were she left him.

“Hey, Peter.”

Peter didn't say anything, but he did look up at her. Natasha continues.

“I know it can get kind of boring in here. I’ve been in your spot countless times. I thought maybe to pass the time I could tell you some stories about my friend. His name is Spider-Man.”

Peter shifts uncomfortably.

“Is that okay, Peter?”

“I’m just…… that just reminds me…...There was a man there. He used to tell me stories, I think.”

Natasha feels hopeful. She didn’t expect Peter to open up this fast.

“What man? A man back where you were?”

“Yeah….”

Natasha digs further.

“What type of stories did this man tell you?”

“I- I don’t really remember. His voice always seemed sad, though.”

“Was he an old man or a young man?”

“Young, I think. I rarely saw him. It was always dark. Why are you asking me about him? I thought you were going to tell me a story.”

“Did you like the man?” Natasha asks, purposefully ignoring Peter’s question.

“He was alright,” Peter gives the tiniest of smiles. It was the first time Peter had smiled since his return.

“What is it Peter?”

“I just remembered. When I was feeling really, really sick, the man would sing this nice song. I didn’t understand the words, but the melody was very peaceful. It would make me feel slightly less sick.”

Natasha’s heart lurches.

“Does it sound like this, Peter?”

She begins to hum.

“Yeah, that’s it. That’s the one,” Peter says, and begins to softly hum along, his eyes wandering, lost in thought.

Bucky.

Natasha smiles at the ingenuity of it all. The message was abundantly clear.

Bucky had broken the hold on his mind, he was using the survival techniques that she had taught him all those years ago in Russia, and now, she knew exactly what to look for.

“Peter, could you try really hard to remember some of those stories for me? It’s very important.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if the ending made sense, but if you are confused, don't worry!!
> 
> It will all become clear soon! <3


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're not in Kansas anymore......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG!!! Thank for all the love on the last chapter <3
> 
> Every time I think you guys can't get any nicer, you prove me wrong!!
> 
> I love you all <3

1998- Stalingrad, Russia

 

Natalia wraps her legs around her opponent’s throat, causing him to lose his balance. He slams onto the floor. She does a quick somersault and is back on her feet in no time.

“Get up soldier! Come on, keep fighting!” One of the onlookers jeers. 

The man does a kick up, puts up his arms, and starts to circle her.

They exchange a few more blows before Natalia has the man's legs out from under him. He hits the floor hard, again.

“You should stay down,” she says under her breath, so that the other men won’t hear, “they’ll keep making you fight, if you keep getting up.”

“I can’t stay down, and you know it,” He grunts, as he tries to get back up, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth.

“Trust me this is for your own good,” and she kicks the man so hard across the face that he is instantly knocked cold. The men cheer. One comes up and pats her on the back.

“Ahhh, Natalia!! You’re skills are unparalleled. After you eat, come talk to me and Alexei, we have a job for you,” He says in Russian, his breath heavy with the stench of alcohol.

“I can’t wait, Iosif,” she says with fake enthusiasm. The man seems satisfied by her response and walks away.

Natalia watches as they haul the unconscious man away, his metal arm making an awful noise as it drags across the concrete. 

 

Natalia is just about to go to bed when there is a knock at the door, and Alexei comes in.

“Natalia, you have a roommate now,” he shoves the man inside unceremoniously, and her eyes widen slightly. It was the man from the fight, “Remember, I expect to see you at 0600 tomorrow morning, Natalia,” he says before slamming the door.

Her new roommate takes in the small, barren room.

“Natalia,” she says as way of greeting.

“The Winter Soldier,” he says back, going to sit on his new bed.

“The Winter Soldier? You can’t expect me to call you that.”

“Asset?” he tries again.

“Don’t you have a real name?”

“Not that I know of,” Natalia is not really surprised. Not while living this life.

“Do you mind if I give you one? Just so I have something to call you.”

“I guess.”

“Viktor?”

“It’s a bit stereotypically Russian, don’t you think?” He asks, almost like he’s teasing her.

“So?”

“Oh, nothing. Viktor’s fine. In fact, Viktor’s a great name.”

“I think so,” Natalia says with a huff that only a young teenage girl can make, even if that teenage girl is well on the way to becoming the most prolific assassin of her time. 

 

“Next time you’ll get a lot worse!” Iosif screams, as some men toss Viktor into the room. He groans, holding his side. Natalia watches from the corner where she has been standing. Iosif turns to her, “You’re going to clean up the mess he’s caused. Two hours, my office!”

“Of course, Iosif,” She says, her voice devoid of emotion. He slams the door, and she can hear him storm away. As soon as she’s sure he’s not coming back, she rushes to Viktor’s side.

“Viktor, can you get up? Let’s move you to the bed.”

“I’m fine, Natalia, it’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You look like shit. Now help me, so that we can get you onto the bed.”

Natalia half drag, half carries Viktor to his bed. Viktor winces as he lands on the mattress.

“Dammit, Viktor. What did you do to piss them off so much?”

“I got distracted while working a job. The target got away. He’s high profile, so they might not be able to take him down, now.”

“You can’t get distracted, Viktor! You know what will happen!”

“Not will. It’s happening,” he looks Natalia with sad eyes.

“No…” she looks at him horrified, “No, they can’t. You won’t remember me.”

“I’m not ‘effective’ anymore. They say that I’ll become more focused. Easier to control. There’s nothing I can do, Nat. They’re bringing me in tomorrow morning.”

“We’re going to figure this out. You won’t forget me. You can’t forget me. We only have each other.”

“What do you propose we do?”

“I’ve heard of a way to counteract the process, but I’m not sure that it works.”

“I trust you, Natalia.”

“Okay, well essentially you can add information to a person’s mind while they’re in a susceptible state, for example, after the procedure. You reinforce a trigger when the mind is the most susceptible, and you slowly add the information that you want the brain to store. The information that you feed the brain will get associated with the procedure, and will remain in the brain unlike other memories. You’re essentially creating a computer virus for your brain. I don’t know if it’s ever worked though.”

“So, what’s my trigger going to be?” Viktor asks, trying to build her confidence.

“How about an old Russian lullaby that I used to sing as a young girl?”

“You’re still a young girl, Natalia, regardless of what you’ve done,” Viktor smiles at her, “It sounds perfect. Much nicer than what Hydra uses.”

“Regardless of where we end up, this lullaby will keep us together, Viktor,” Natalia says with a sad smile, “You mean so much to me. I wouldn’t have been able to survive these past few months without you.”

“You know that I’ll always look out for you, Natalia. You’ll always be my little sister.”

Natalia grabs his real hand, and squeezes it.

“And you’ll always be my protective, pain in the ass brother. I love you, Viktor.”

“I love you, too, Natalia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you aren't too mad that there wasn't any (modern day) Bucky and/or Peter in this chapter <3


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natalia learns more about Viktor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case any of you were confused by last chapter:
> 
> Natalia= Natasha  
> Viktor= Bucky
> 
> You guys are great <3

It had been a long time since Natasha had called Bucky Viktor. When she first saw Bucky again, about fifteen years after that night, she had hardly registered it was him. He hadn’t aged a day. Now she knew why he hadn’t aged, but back then it was like seeing a ghost from her past. Since then she had never once mentioned Stalingrad to him, and she didn’t think that he even remembered her, let alone recognized her. It didn’t bother her, though, because she wasn’t Natalia anymore, and he wasn’t Viktor. They were Natasha and Bucky. Two different people, living two different lives, their pasts forgotten until now. 

Natasha felt a wave of emotion. Bucky did remember their time in Stalingrad, but like her, he had let the past stay in the past. 

The lullaby was proof that Natasha’s plan to help Bucky had worked all those years ago, He had remembered, and now he had done the exact same thing to Peter. And Bucky knew that Natasha would understand. So, Natasha got to work deciphering Peter’s memories. 

“Peter, could you try really hard to remember some of those stories for me? It’s very important.”

“Like I said, I don’t remember much.”

“That’s okay, let’s take it slow. Do you remember who was in his stories?”

Peter sat there with his knees pulled up to his chest, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“I think his best friend was in one of them…” Peter said with uncertainty, still very timid around Natasha.

“Do you remember what they were doing in the story?”

“Ummm……….fishing? Yeah, I think it was fishing.”

Nothing about that really pops out as a clue to Natasha, so she moves on.

“What else Peter? What other--”

The door opens, and light floods into the room from the hallway. Peter curls in on himself even further than he already had been. Bruce is standing in the doorway.

“Shit. Get in here, and close the door!” Natasha hisses at Bruce. He quickly, but quietly closes the door behind him.

“Sorry, sorry. I just came to see if there was any progress. The team is about to go out on another search, and they were hoping Peter might have said something.”

Natasha motions him to the floor, holds up a finger to tell him to wait, and then puts it to her lips. She then turns back to Peter, who has started to rock back and forth slightly, whispering under his breath.

“I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to get back. I’ve got to get back.”

“It’s okay, Peter. See, it’s dark again. Nice and dark. The bad men aren’t coming. You were with your friend when it was dark, right? The one who sings the lullaby?”

She begins to hum, and Peter slowly starts to relax again. 

“That’s right Peter, you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

Bruce looks confused about the conversation, but stays quiet.

Peter quietly begins to hum again.

“Peter do you think we can get back to where we left off?”

“Hmm? Sure.”

“What about the other stories? Did they all involve the man’s friend?”

Peter remains silent for a long time. Natasha is about to ask him again, when he finally speaks.

“I think there was one about his sister.”

Natasha perks up, not wanting to miss a word that comes out of Peter’s mouth. She knew. This was the story. This is what Bucky left for her to find.

“Can you tell me that story Peter?” Natasha says, a little more forcefully than she intended. Peter flinches slightly, but continues.

“Umm, so…. I think he said she was in her late teens. Maybe, 18? 19?”

“Are you sure she wasn’t younger?” Natasha said confused. Bucky had already left by the time she was in her late teens, and she had been assigned to the States. Was this the wrong story after all?

“Yeah, I’m sure that she was that old.”

“Then what happened?

“His sister was going to be attacked by bad people, but he knew about it. He stopped them all to save his sister’s life. He said that he would always be there to protect her. He said that he would have stayed to see her after he had stopped the bad guys, but he knew that his handlers would have noticed his absence, and so he left without speaking to her. He said he was very sorry that he had to leave her.”

Natasha felt like she had been hit with a train. She was so tense, that even Bruce, who had little idea of what was going on, touched her lightly on the arm to reassure her.

“You okay, Nat?” Bruce asks softly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine,” She says, her eyes watering a little bit.

Bucky had never left her. He has been at her side all these years and she didn’t even know it. Her brother had never left her. Viktor had always been there, lurking in the shadows of her life to make sure she was okay.

She turns to Bruce.

“I know where they have him. I know where they’re keeping Bucky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Bram going to get his ass kicked next chapter.......?
> 
> Stay tuned!! <3


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE CHAPTER LITERALLY EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!
> 
> (lol I'm sorry if it doesn't live up to anyone's expectations, since I've been dragging it out for days now...... <3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: GRAPHIC DEPICTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND LOTS OF SWEARING. UNDERTONES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for 20,000 hits you guys!!! I love each and everyone of you <3
> 
> You're all going to make me cry because you all are so nice!

“You can’t….break me, Bram,” Bucky wheezes, trying to catch his breath.

Bram glares at him. He is so annoyed, that he is almost angry. Bucky’s no replacement for Peter. He needs Peter back. He angrily drums his fingers against the desk.

“You said this would fucking work,” he snarls to the guard next to him.

“It’s-- It’s supposed to,” the guard stammers.

“Well it’s not FUCKING. WORKING!” Bram yells in the guard’s face. He hears Bucky chuckle to himself. Bram’s rage fills every ounce of his being. He reaches into his jacket, and pulls out a pocket knife. He rushes over to Bucky, and leans over him. Their faces are almost touching. Bram aims the knife at Bucky’s throat.

“Laugh again, pretty boy. I’ll make your face so hideous, that none of your precious Avengers will be able to recognize you. I’ll make you the ugly monster you truly are on the inside.”

“Bram, s-stop!” The guard yells , “Harold--”

“I don’t give a fuck about Harold, Kyle!” Bram yells with a crazed look in his eyes, “I’m sick and tired of Mr. Super Soldier, here. I want Peter, back. But I’m not ‘allowed’ to go looking for Peter until I liquify this son of a bitch’s brain.”

Bram looks into Bucky’s defiant eyes.

“So, how ‘bout it tin-man? Can you just let me do my job, so I can get back to my one true love?”

Bucky spits in his face. Bram shrieks in disgust and anger.

“You FUCKER!” Bram turns to the guard, nostrils flaring “Take him to the pits!”

“But--”

“Take. Him. To. The. Pits. NOW.” Bram is seething, but he smiles at the look of fear in Bucky’s eyes.

 

Bucky had been to “the pits” of other Hydra bases. They were essentially fighting rings. Sometimes there was a crowd, but the pits were used more for punishment, than entertainment. Not all the fights resulted in death, but a lot of them did. 

Bucky knew this was his chance. Probably his only chance to get out of this hell hole. They were going to be taking his cuffs off. What he didn’t expect was for them to put the shock collar back on.

“Don’t want you to get any funny ideas,” the guard says.

“Who am I going to be fighting?” Bucky asks.

“Not who. What.” The guard clarifies, grinning.

The door opens, and Bucky walks hesitantly into the arena. An abused looking lion is pacing on the other side. When the lion spots Bucky, it pauses, then charges him.

“Shit.”

The lion pounces, preparing to strike with one of its paws. Bucky blocks it with his arm, the claws scratching unpleasantly against the metal. The force of the blow throws Bucky against the wall, and he starts to cough blood.

He doesn’t waste any time though, as the lion comes prowling towards him. Bucky jumps to his feet, and prepares himself.

The lion charges once more, and this time Bucky is able to doge, and swing himself onto the lion’s back. He puts the lion in a chokehold. The lion tries to get Bucky off his back, but Bucky holds on for dear life. 

After what seems like ages the lion finally goes down, but Bucky still doesn’t waste any time.

The fight’s not over.

He runs over to the arena entrance, painfully clutching his side where he is pretty sure he has broken some ribs. He puts his back against the wall.

As soon as the doors open, Bucky leaps through them, grabs the closest guard’s head before he can even have a chance to react, and snaps the man’s neck. The guard becomes dead weight, and Bucky drops him.

The second guard stares at him shocked, and presses the button to activate the shock collar. Bucky briefly stops, stunned, but his adrenaline is too high. He grits his teeth, and groans through the pain. He walks forward, quickly advancing on the guard. The guard is about to draw his weapon, but before it even leaves it’s holster……

Bang!

A searing pain becomes overly apparent in Bucky’s left thigh. But he still doesn’t stop.

He immediately grabs the second guard’s head, and snaps the man's neck. Bucky pulls the corpse in front of him, using it as a human shield against the last guard who had shot him in the leg.

Bucky reaches down, and is about to pull out the dead man’s gun when... 

Bang!

The guard’s shot misses.

Bucky raises his weapon, his hands shaking. The adrenaline is already wearing off, and he’s losing a lot of blood. He’s probably got some internal bleeding happening, as well as the gunshot wound. Despite that he takes a deep breath, and pulls the trigger.

Bang!

The last guard goes down.

 

Bram hears the gunshots coming from the opposite side of the building. 

“What now?” he groans, and takes a gun from the weapon’s rack.

When he makes it to the pit, he stops dead in his tracks, raising the weapon.

There are three dead bodies on the floor, but none of them are his prisoner.

He walks forward slowly.

“Bucky? Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

Bram’s eyes scan the shadows.

“Bucky, you’re being childish! I don’t have time to play hide-and-seek.”

Bram’s adrenaline is pumping. He smiles. He loves hunting prey.

“If you don’t come out right now, there is going to be some pretty serious consequences.”

He smiles, as he steps over one of the bodies, thinking of all the possible punishments.

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to take Peter, and I'm going to--”

Suddenly there was blood pouring from his mouth.

He couldn't breath. 

There was something inside him.

Something sharp and painful.

He could feel a body pressed against him, holding him close as the object was driven deeper into his back. 

The man’s breath on his neck.

“Don’t you dare say his name.” Bucky says in a menacing tone. He twists what Bram can only assume is a knife. Bram tries to inhale, but only begins to choke on more blood, “You’ll never see him again Bram. You’ll never see anyone again. You’re going to die here, alone, in the dark, and in pain,” disgust fills Bucky’s voice.

For the first time in a long time, Bram cries. Tears stream out of his eyes as he desperately tries to suck down air. He whimpers as his vision starts to become dim. He’s beginning to lose consciousness.

Bucky leans in real close.

“It’s not your fault what Hydra did to you, Bram, but it is your fault what you did for them.”

And with that, Bucky slashes Bram’s throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a comment, because I need the motivation to write, SOS! Hahaha <3
> 
> ALSO BRAM IS FINALLY OUT OF THE PICTURE!! YAY!!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for [insert spoiler here]?!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Steve are going to be in more chapters soon, I swear!! They just can't really leave the base at the moment.
> 
>  
> 
> Love you guys!!
> 
> ENJOY <3

“Okay, listen up team. We’re going to split up into three groups to search these buildings. This is a rescue mission only. Only engage the enemy if necessary. Clint and I will take the far left building. Thor and Sam, you guys take the far right. Natasha and Bruce, you guys take the central building. Bruce only go full green if absolutely necessary. You are here to aid in the search, and give medical assistance only, understood? If anyone gets into hot water, or finds Bucky, signal the rest of the team,” Tony instructs.

“Copy,” Natasha says into her ear piece, as she finishes scaling the wall. She holds out a hand for Bruce to take, “Ready to go?”

“Do I have a choice?” Bruce asks.

“Not really, no. Don’t worry, I’ll be there if you go green.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Bruce grumbles, falling to the ground on the other side of the wall, “Holy shit, this is a big compound. How in the world are we supposed to find Bucky?”

“Like I said earlier, I’ve been here before. I was almost assassinated here, before Bucky saved me. I know my way around.”

“Right. So, how did you and Bucky know each other, again?”

Natasha pushes him against a wall, holding a finger to her lips. Two guards walk by. When they pass, they slowly continue their way to the building’s entrance.

“I was part of the KGB. Bucky was part of Hydra. In the late 90’s they had a joint program to train expert killers. Both me and Bucky were part of a select few who went through that training. We became friends.”

“Oh...that’s cool,” Bruce said, clearly unsure of how to respond to the information, “Not the killing, but the friendship.”

Natasha rolls her eyes, and then changes the topic.

“If nothing has changed, they will be holding Bucky on the most secure floor of this entire building: B15.”

“And if not?” Bruce asks.

“Well, then we have a lot of searching to do, Dr. Banner. Better keep your fingers crossed.”

 

They get into the elevator, where they run into a problem. In order to operate it, they needed a key card, or an incredibly smart individual. Luckily they had the latter. 

“Would you?” Natasha asks pointing her head in the direction of the panel. Bruce sets to work, reconfiguring the wires. Within a few seconds, they were moving.

“Do you think it’s weird that we’ve only seen two guards so far?” Bruce asks her.

“Not really. This is a top secret base. The less personel, the fewer people that can expose the compound.”

“It just seems a bit eerie to me.”

“We’ll be fine, Bruce. Like I said, I know this place inside and out.”

“I don’t doubt it. I just really don’t want to have to bring out the other guy.”

They quietly walk down the hallway, checking in rooms, only to find them empty. Natasha expects Bucky to be in the “surgical room” as she calls it. That’s where Hydra tries to reprogram their soldiers, and Bucky was in need of reprogramming. But when she got there, the room was empty.

Something was off, though. There was a half eaten apple on the desk, along with a glass of ice water. Someone had been here recently, but wasn’t here now. 

“Bruce, stay close,” Natasha instructs. Bruce looks at her worried, and moves slightly closer to Natasha.

“That’s not exactly filling me with confidence,” Bruce starts to complain, but Natasha holds a finger to her lips. She then slowly moves out of the room, weapon drawn.

They move down the hall to the last room on this floor. The pit.

Natasha had fought in this pit a good dozen times. She had killed nine men here. It wasn’t exactly a place she thought of fondly, but the sight that awaited her was more haunting than any of her memories.

The room was littered with bloods, and guts, but the first thing that caught her eye was a lion tearing at the stomach of a young man. The man’s eyes were staring straight ahead with the emptiness of the dead. He looked like he was terrified in his last moments. His throat had been slashed, but it was clean, unlike a lion’s claws. This wound had been inflicted by a man.

“It that a--”

“Lion? Yes. Yes it is.” Natasha breathes, trying not to startle the beast. Unfortunately, it must have sensed their presence. It looks up at them, blood coating it’s muzzle, and it snarls. It starts to prowl towards them.

“This isn’t good,” Bruce comments.

The beast leaps forward at Natasha, and she fires her pistol, just as a large shape barrels into the side of the animal. The round ends up in the lion’s shoulder, and there is now a large green rampaging monster about to kick the crap out of the lion.

“Shit, Bruce. I had that,” Natasha says under her breath, and then into the earpiece she says, “We have a code green,”

“Are you guys okay?” She hears Clint ask.

“I had a close call with a lion, but we’re good. Something went down in our building, though. Not sure what yet. Still haven’t located Bucky,” She informs them as she watches the Hulk pick the lion up, and throw it across the room, “Also, I think we might have to call PETA on Bruce.”

“What is a lion? Is it some sort of ferocious beast?” Thor asks, his voice full of curiosity.

“It’s like a big cat,” Tony explains.

“If it is like a big cat, then why would Dr. Banner have to battle it? Should it not be fluffy, kind, and gentle?”

“It’s like a big, mean cat,” Tony clarifies.

“Oh, I see,” Thor says.

“This is off topic, guys. You can talk about lions, tigers, and bears later,” Clint says, “Do you need back up Nat?”

“That’s a negative, for the moment.”

“Copy,” Sam says.

The earpiece goes silent once more.

She hears the Hulk smashing in the background, as she finally surveys the room. There was the lion’s dinner, a man with a gunshot wound to the head, two men with their necks broken, and……..

No.

No. No. No. No. No.

She rushes forward, falling to her knees next to him.

There is so much blood pooling underneath him.

No. No. No. No. No.

“Bucky….” She says.

She gently flips him over. 

He groans.

Relief floods through her.

“Dammit, Bucky. Don’t you do that to me.”

She feels for his pulse. It’s very weak.

She identifies the source of the bleeding. There is a gunshot wound to his thigh. However, there is also blood exiting out of his mouth, which could be a sign of internal bleeding.

“Shit, shit shit!” she says, turning to grab Bruce’s bag, so that she can get a tourniquet. 

Instead she is staring at very large, very green feet. She quickly glances over at the lion, which is now dead without a shadow of a doubt.

She hardly moves a muscle, staying in a crouched position as she looks up at the Hulk. She raises her hands slowly.

“Hey, there big guy,” she says in the most gentle voice she can manage, “Sun’s getting real low.”

The Hulk looks at her for a minute.

She turns her hand over, and waits for him to place his hand in hers.

He doesn’t.

His eyes are somewhere else.

They aren’t focused on her.

They're focused behind her.

 

On Bucky.

 

The Hulk lets out a strangled yell of anguish, and takes a step towards her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've stuck around this long, I just want to say thank you!! It means the world to me!! These past couple of weeks have been crazy. I honestly still can't believe that you guys are enjoying my first ever fanfic so much. This is the longest story that I've ever written. And just know that I appreciate every comment, kudos, and hit that this fic gets so very, very much! You guys are the best <3


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter & Steve have a chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys!! <3
> 
> You'll have to wait to figure out what happens to Bucky, Nat, and Bruce!!! :D

The Asset wants to scream. His lungs ache. His head feels like it’s going to split open. He can’t hold out much longer. He needs air. He can feel himself slipping. The world is slowly dimming. He doesn’t care anymore. He feels at peace. He is finally going to get some peace. Just one more minute. Just one.

The Asset is gasping as his head breaks the surface. His lung’s greedily suck in as much oxygen as they can hold. He sputters. 

“Desire. Lonely. One. Daybreak. Tank. Nine. Docile. Titanium. Seven. Warehouse.”

He has to get up. He has to. His brain needs the oxygen. He can’t go back under. He can’t. 

But he’s so tired. He doesn’t know if he can move. He sees the man reach for the lever. He whimpers.

He takes a deep breath, preparing to go back under.

The man pulls the lever.

But the Asset doesn’t go back in the tank. He’s not even wet, except for a bit of sweat. He’s somewhere else, and his spider-senses are telling him he’s not alone. He jumps up off the floor where he had been sleeping, and on to the unsuspecting man, trying to put him in a choke hold. They fall to the ground.

“Peter! Peter, It’s me! It’s Steve!! Let GO!”

It all comes flooding back to him. The woman Natasha. Her insistence on calling him Peter. Her questions about that man. 

But the Asset doesn’t know this man. He is not Natasha, or that other man called Bruce. He’s also not one of the scientists at Hydra. For all he knows this man was trying to kill him. He must kill the other man first. The Asset tightens the grip on the other man’s throat, cutting of oxygen.

This doesn’t stop the man, however. He rolls over, causing the Asset to lose his grip. But the Asset doesn’t give up that easily. He starts to reposition himself to get a grip on the man’s neck again, but the Asset is in for a surprise.

The man grabs the Asset by the shoulders, and pins him to the ground. He is stronger than any other man the Asset has ever known. Except for maybe the man that sang him songs.

“Peter! Look at me!” The Asset avoids eye contact, “Look at me!” He says again, and the Asset gives in, “You’re okay. You’re free from that horrible place. You’re never going to back. It’s me, Steve, remember? I’m not going to hurt you.”

The Asset looks at “Steve” skeptically.

“Let me go,” The Asset says simply. Steve does let him go, and the Asset retreats back into the corner, eyeing the man warily.

“You’re okay, Peter,” Steve tries to crouch next to him, but one of his legs appears to be injured.

“Why does everyone keep trying to keep calling me Peter? I’m not Peter. I don’t know who Peter is. I don’t know who you are. I don’t know where I am. I just need to get back. If I don’t get back they’re going to be angry. I don’t want them to be angry. I can’t… I can’t go through that again,” The Asset cries. He should not be crying. They would be mad that he’s crying. He should not be crying.

The Asset looks up at Steve. He looks horrified, broken, and angry all at the same time.

“What do you mean, your not Peter?”

“I’m not Peter. I’m the Asset.”

The man called Steve makes a slight choking noise. He gets up and turns his back to the Asset. He can hear Steve taking deep breaths. The Asset is startled when Steve proceeds to punch several holes in the wall, before crumpling to the ground, tears rolling down his face.

“Why are you sad?” The Asset asks, genuinely curious.

“I’m sad because I lost a friend.”

“Is it the man called Peter?” The Asset asks, “Is that why everyone keeps trying to call me that?”

“Yes,” Steve says, wiping tears from his eyes, “Yes, it was my dear friend, Peter.”

“Well,” The Asset is unsure of how to console this man, “I’m not Peter, but if it makes you feel better, I guess you could call me that. Miss Natasha does.”

“That’s very kind of you, Peter.” Steve says, his fists visibly getting tighter, and tighter as the seconds pass, “Would you excuse me? I think I need some air,” He gets up to leave.

“Steve?” The Asset asks, looking at the man, “Will I be able to go home soon?”

The man’s hand is so tight on the doorknob that it leaves a dent. He gives the Asset a long, searching look, his eyes woeful. 

“I sure hope so, kid. You’re already part of the way there. I would be devastated if you weren’t able to come home.”

And with one last long, sorrowful glance in his direction, Steve leaves, and the Asset is left to wonder about what Steve had meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of possibly writing two chapters tomorrow, so get excited!!! :D


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HULK NOT ANGRY D:<

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, new profile pic! What?! Hahaha. (If someone knows who made it, lmk, because I have no idea!!)
> 
> Also, this is a tiny bit filler, but you will mostly likely get a more exciting chapter tonight!! :D

Natasha quickly gathers Bucky in her arms. He groans in protest.

“Sorry, Barnes. Just trying to save your life,” She says as she narrowly misses a punch from the Hulk, “Hey, guys? I take it all back. I need backup, ASAP. Code Green protocol fell through. I repeat, Code Green protocol fell through. Also, target acquired. Critical condition.”

“Shit!” Sam curses into his earpiece.

“Everyone, converge on Natasha’s location. Extract target. Clint, you help Natasha with the Code Green,” Tony instructs.

“Copy,” Clint says.

The Hulk yells, and starts to run towards Natasha. She waits until the very last moment, before quickly side-stepping. That move won’t work forever, though. The Hulk will catch on.

“Hey, big guy. Come on now, I need you to calm down. We’re all very worried about Bucky, just like you. Come on, the sun’s getting real low.” Natasha tries to stay as calm as possible, but her heart feels like it’s going to beat out of her chest. If she wasn’t holding Bucky, she might stand a chance at evading the Hulk’s attacks. However, Bucky was going to severely limit her range of motion. 

She could tell that the Hulk wasn’t specifically trying to target them. He was just so angry at the moment, that anything moving was fair game. His mind was probably so overwhelmed with emotion, that he wouldn’t even recognize her and Bucky.

The Hulk starts to rip metal off the sides of the arena. Natasha slowly tries to back away, so that she can reach the hallway, and find a safe place to hide Bucky. Before she’s even moved two steps, the Hulk turns back towards her, with a large metal rod.

He throws it like a spear, right at her and Bucky. 

There’s no dodging it.

She quickly turns, covering Bucky with her body, and waits for impact.

It doesn’t come.

“Miss me?” Tony asks, hovering above her, holding the large rod in his hands.

“Hardly,” Natasha replies, but then adds, “Thanks, Tony.”

“Oh, I didn’t do it for you. I just didn’t want to see Capsicle moping about in his tighty-whities for the next century,” Tony jokes, throwing the rob into the ground.

Sam comes up behind Natasha.

“I got him, Nat,” he says holding out his arms to take Bucky.

“He’s got a gunshot wound to the thigh, and possible internal injuries,” she tells Sam, as she reluctantly gives up Bucky. 

“He’ll be okay,” Sam reassures her, and takes off with Bucky.

Natasha refocuses on the Hulk, who is distracted by Tony’s annoying yet harmless attacks. 

“You’re not making my job any easier by getting him riled up,” she complains to Tony.

“Don’t worry, Thor and I are leaving anyway. We’ve got incoming. Don’t let the Hulk smash you.”

“We’ll try not to,” says Clint, finally showing up.

Now that Tony had left, the Hulk went back to tearing apart the walls of the arena.

“Hey, big guy,” Natasha says trying to get his attention. Clint jumps up into the stands, so that he’s out of the Hulk’s sight, but still there to provide backup should Natasha need it, “ It’s just you and me, now. No one else.”

The Hulk looks at her, and then looks around the room, unconvinced.

“No one else?” He grunts.

“No one else,” she confirms.

The tearing of metal slows.

“There’s no more reason to be upset,” she says slowly raising her hands.

“Hulk not upset!” The Hulk shouts, becoming more agitated, and taking a few steps towards Natasha. She sees Clint draw an arrow from the the top row of seats. She gives him a look, telling him to wait.

“You’re right. You’re right. You’re not upset. That’s why you’re going to work with me, right, big guy? Sun’s getting real low,” She holds out her hand, palm facing up.

The Hulk looks at the hand for a second, and for a moment Natasha is sure he’s going to reject it again, but he doesn’t.

He slowly puts the back of his hand in her palm. Natasha carefully moves her hand to the other side of his arm, and runs her fingers down the inside of his forearm, all the way to the tips of his fingers.

He looks at her, his demeanor already much calmer than it had been a few seconds before. 

The Hulk turns away, and slowly starts to turn back into Bruce. Clint comes down from his perch.

Bruce is sitting on the ground, rubbing his temple. Natasha comes up behind him, and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I had that lion,” she says in a slight teasing voice, hoping to make him feel better.

“You were about to be shredded, and you know it,” Bruce groans.

Clint takes Bruce’s hand, helping him to his feet.

“Come on. Let’s go welcome our friend back home,” Clint says, giving Natasha and Bruce a rare smile, “Also, there is a possibility that I set explosives to blow this place to the ground, so we should probably get a move on.”

“Clint!” Bruce reprimands, “This was supposed to be rescue only!”

“Since when do I take orders from Tony?” Clint asks, smiling mischievously.

Natasha just shakes her head at Clint in disbelief, a huge grin plastered on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clint being a trouble maker is my aesthetic.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> STUCKY <3 :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depiction of Panic Attack
> 
>  
> 
> Love you guys!!! <3

Steve sat in the kitchen, staring at the skyline. Not Peter, not Peter, not Peter, kept running through his head. He couldn’t go through this again. He wasn’t strong enough. Not for this.

“Captain Rogers. Sam Wilson has asked me to inform you that Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes is now on the premises. He is in critical condition, but remains stable at the moment. Shall I inform Sam that you are headed upstairs?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks.

Steve looks up, startled by F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice. His pulse quickens at the thought of finally being able to see Bucky, but he is also scared. What if it isn’t Bucky coming home? What if it’s just another Asset? He doesn’t think he can handle any more bad news today. He clears his throat.

“Uh...Yeah, Friday. I’ll be right up.”

Steve stands up, and tries to make himself semi-presentable. He takes a deep breath, and walks over to the elevator.

 

Steve finds Bucky’s room fairly quickly with the help of a nurse. Sam is already in there. He gets up to leave when Steve enters the room, but Steve signals for him to sit back down.

Steve walks over to the bed, and is pained by what he sees. The last month has not been easy on Bucky. He’s much slimmer, covered in bruises, and other wounds, and he smells like death. 

But he’s alive.

And awake.

“Buck?” Steve asks tentatively, just above a whisper.

“You look like shit,” Bucky mumbles groggily.

“Sorry, he’s a bit out of it,” Sam says apologetically.

Steve grins, knowing that this is his Bucky, not the Winter Soldier Bucky.

“No,” Steve corrects, “He’s perfect.”

He smooths back Bucky’s hair, and kisses him firmly but gently on the forehead.

“I’ve waited a month,” Bucky mumbles.

“What?” Steve says.

“I’ve waited a month. Kiss me like you mean it, Rogers.”

Sam looks very embarrassed.

“I think that’s my cue to leave. You guys have fun!” He says awkwardly as he walks out of the door.

As soon as Sam leaves, Steve leans in and gives Bucky a real kiss. A passionate kiss. When Bucky winces, he pulls away.

“You okay?” Steve asks with a worried expression.

“Yeah, it’s just my damn ribs, I think,” Bucky says no more on the subject, and Steve has learned not to pry.

“Don’t you ever leave me again. I don’t know what I would do without your sorry ass.” He takes Bucky’s hand in his own, and gives it a little squeeze.

“I won’t, but you would do just fine without me, Steve. You’re an incredible man. You would make it work.”

Steve stares at Bucky as if he will disappear at any moment.

“I love you, Bucky.”

“I love you, too, Steve.”

There is a slight pause, where they just enjoy each other’s presence, before their little bubble of happiness is burst.

“Steve…” Bucky starts. Steve can tell that whatever he wants to ask, he’s nervous to do so, “Is he okay? Is.. Is Peter okay?”

Steve’s grip on Bucky’s hand tightens. He hangs his head, letting it slowly move side-to-side.

“No,” he says, his lips drawing into a tight line, “but we’re going to make him alright. You’re both home, and that’s what matters. Now we can focus on making you both better.”

“He’s not okay?” Bucky’s voice breaks, and he looks so broken that Steve is unsure if he’ll be able to put all the pieces back together again, “He has to be okay. He has to be… He…”

Bucky’s breathing quickens, his eyes going wide, as he’s thrown into a panic attack. Steve runs to press a call button, then goes over to soothe Bucky.

“He is okay,” Steve reassures, “He’s safe. He’s home. Shh, Shh. Darling, it’s going to be okay.”

A nurse walks into the room, and prepares a sedative.

“Deep breaths, Buck. Follow my breathing.”

The nurse injects Bucky.

“There you go, love. It’s going to be okay. It’s all going to be okay.”

As Bucky went quite, Steve still didn’t know.

Was he trying to calm Bucky’s fears, or his own?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, my babies!!!!!!!! D:


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so understanding last night!! <3 I had a friend that needed my help. It was nothing serious, but it meant that I couldn't update. You were all so wonderful about it! I don't know what I did to deserve you all!! I hope this early update makes up for it!! 
> 
> Much love <3

Natasha, Bruce, and Clint rode the elevator up to the main floor of Avengers Tower in comfortable silence. Tony had gone with Thor to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s office, so that Thor could be debriefed, and return home. Natasha hadn’t really expected Thor to stick around. He was only ever around for the fighting. She understood, though. He had his own people to worry about.

When they reached the main floor, they exited the elevator to find Steve and Sam sitting at the large kitchen table. Sam had a book in his hand, but he didn’t appear to be reading. He briefly looks up at Natasha as she enters the room, but his eyes go straight back to the novel, staring blankly at its pages. Steve, on the other hand, does not acknowledge their presence.

He is sketching in a large tattered sketchbook. She eyes him with concern. Steve only draws when something is bothering him. Something he can’t solve with his fists and an old punching bag. 

“Is it Bucky?” She asks, preparing herself for the worst. Clint and Bruce, stop in their tracks, finally noticing something is wrong.

“No,” Steve says simply.

Natasha looks over at Sam, hoping that he’ll chime in, but he just brings the book closer to his face.

“What is it?” Natasha asks carefully, having a hunch about where this conversation is about to go. Steve puts the pencil down, folds his arms, and looks her square in the face.

“You’ve been keeping secrets, Nat,” she can hear the pain in his voice. 

“Let’s take this somewhere else, Steve. They don’t deserve to find out like this,” she says as calmly as possible. She figures that Steve has already told Sam about Peter, but Bruce and Clint don’t know yet. Steve stands up, his whole body tense.

“So you’re going to lie to them, too?” He says gesturing at Bruce and Clint.

“What’s going on, Nat?” Clint asks her in his usual level voice.

“Tony and I were going to tell you guys. We were just waiting for the right time,” Natasha says holding her ground.

“Of course Tony knows!” Steve throws up his hands, “Why wouldn’t he know. He gets told everything! And the right time? The right time! When is it the right time to tell someone that a sixteen year old has been brainwashed and tortured into becoming the new Winter Soldier?! When is it the right time, Natasha!?”

The room goes silent.

All that can be heard is Steve’s heavy breathing. 

Sam puts down his book.

“Is it true?” Bruce asks, sounding like he already knows the answer.

Natasha nods, not taking her eyes of Steve’s hurt expression, “Yes, it’s true.”

Clint leaves the room without a word. She knows that he doesn’t do well with showing people his emotions. She makes a mental note to go check on him when this is done.

Bruce sinks into a nearby chair, and doesn’t say another word. He just stares down at the floor, like he is trying to memorize the pattern of the wood. His skin turning the faintest shade of green.

“You okay, Bruce?” Natasha looks at him, already preparing to calm him down again. Everyone goes tense, and looks at Bruce.

He gives a small nod.

When she is sure that Bruce isn't about to have an episode, Natasha turns back to Steve.

“I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t want you to find out like this,” Natasha apologizes.

Steve backs down a little bit, having gotten most of his feelings off of his chest.

“Next time, if there is a next time, you don’t keep it to yourself. You tell everyone. We’re a team. We work as a team. We fight as a team. We die as team. No more secrets, Nat. If one of us knows something, we all know it.”

“No more secrets,” she says, knowing that it was what Steve needed to hear in this moment, but that this wasn’t a realistic promise. Not with this group of people.

She turns to Sam.

“You okay, Sam?”

“We’re good, Nat. I know you were acting with the team’s best interests in mind. No hard feelings.”

“Where’s Bucky?” Natasha asks, steering the conversation away from Peter.

“In surgery” Steve answers, “Doctor says they should be done in a few hours.”

“Okay. I’m going to check on Clint in the meantime. Are you sure you’re alright, Bruce?”

Bruce doesn’t say anything. He just continues to stare at the floor.

“Don’t worry, Nat. I’ll look after him,” Steve says, all the animosity between them gone.

Natasha gives him a grateful smile, and hits the elevator button for the roof.

It was time to go find the hawk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Cries while writing Clint's and Bruce's reaction*
> 
> They like can't even express how upset they are !!!!! D:


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor & Natalia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Nightmares & Gore
> 
>  
> 
> Peter is going to be in the next chapter!! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about him! <3
> 
> Love you guys <3

“Viktor. Viktor wake up!” there is a hissing in his ear, “Viktor, I can’t sleep.”

“Mmhnm,” Viktor mumbles into his pillow, trying to turn over.

“Viktor!”

“Natalia, I’m tryna sleep.”

“Please,” she says, drawing the word out nice and long. Viktor rolls his eyes, knowing that he’s not going to get any sleep tonight. He sits up so fast that he is able to make Natalia jump. Viktor bursts out laughing. 

“That’s not funny, Viktor!” she says, smacking him with her pillow, a huge smile on her face.

“You’re the one who said I should wake up!” Viktor protests.

“Well, you’ll be glad that you did!” Natalia hops back up onto her bed, swinging her legs, “I snatched a bottle of vodka after training today,” she takes off the cap, and takes a swig, “Want some?” Natalia holds out the bottle for him.

“Natalia, are you crazy! If they catch us with this-”

“Relax, Viktor. Everyone’s asleep. No one is even going to miss it with the amount that they drink.”

Natalia looks so happy that Viktor can’t bring himself to spoil the fun.

He reaches for the bottle.

There is a pounding at the door.

“Bucky, dearest? Is Peter in there with you? We’re going to have some fun today!”

Viktor looks back to the other bed, but Natalia is gone.

The door opens.

Bram is grinning in the door frame. Blood pours from his throat, and his intestines drag on the floor. He’s holding a bloody knife.

“Natalia can join us if she wants,” Bram promises, leering.

He can hear Natalia shouting for him.

“Natalia! Natalia!!”

He screams for her, as he runs barefoot down the hallway.

Then he sees her, and she is just out of his reach.

She’s dripping wet, and shivering. She has a dead look in her eyes.

He stretches his arm as far as it will go.

“NATALIA!”

She looks at him confused, tilting her head as if she doesn’t recognize him.

“Bucky?”

 

“Bucky. Bucky! Wake up!”

Bucky’s eyes snap open, his heart racing. He is drenched in sweat.

“Hey. Hey, Bucky you’re okay. It was just a nightmare.”

Bucky would recognize that voice anywhere.

“Natasha.”

“Yep, it’s me. And Steve, but he fell asleep ages ago. He hasn’t slept at all the last few weeks. Neither did I, really,” She smiles at him, “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shakes his head, sitting up.

“I wanted to say thank you, by the way. For saving my life all those years ago,” she looks down at her lap, “I thought you had forgotten about me a long time ago. I had always believed that the lullaby didn’t work. I thought that’s why I never saw you, after that night.”

She looks up and he is staring her right in the eye, a small, sad smile on his face.

“I did forget. For a time, anyway. I forgot everything for a while. I was just a mindless puppet. They moved me around a lot. That’s why I never came back after the procedure. A little over a year later, I was on a job just outside of Moscow, and I passed by this homeless mother, and her little baby girl. She was singing the lullaby. It all came flooding back, at least what you had programmed came back. My life before you was still lost to me.

“I knew that I couldn’t come to you, though. If I showed the slightest change in my programming, I knew that I might lose you again, and maybe for good this time. I never want to lose you again, Natalia. You’re my family. Just as much as Steve. And now, just as much as Peter.”

Natasha wipes the stray tear from her eye, embarrassed to be crying. Bucky grabs her hand.

“I never thought I would get you back,” Natasha says slowly, to prevent herself from full on crying, “I was always happy with just thinking of you as Bucky. Just knowing that you ended up okay, and away from Hydra. But now,” she pauses, taking a deep breath, steadying herself, “now I have my brother back. I have Viktor back.”

“Uhh, Viktor. What a terrible name, you picked out for me,” Bucky teases. She chuckles.

“I stand by it. It was a good name.”

“Wha was a good name?” Steve yawns, finally waking from his nap.

“Nothing, sleeping beauty,” Bucky says.

“Bucky!” Steve says, realizing that he’s awake.

As Steve starts to ramble on about Bucky’s surgery, Natasha silently gets up to leave, without Steve even realizing. Bucky smiles at her.

It’s like a giant weight has been lifted off of her shoulders. 

After all these years of torture, misery, and death, they finally found each other again.

Their family was finally becoming whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY FAMILY!! <3


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Just an intense chapter all around. 
> 
> Tony & Peter <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how I feel about this chapter, but I'm posting it anyway.

Tony walks into interrogation room number two, knowing that it would be dark. 

Knowing he would find a broken young man.

Knowing that his heart would break.

Yet, he goes in anyway.

“Hey, kid. Sorry, we left you alone for a few hours. We had some stuff to take care of.”

“That’s okay. I’m used to being left in a single room for long periods of time.”

Tony’s hand clenches slightly. He doesn’t know if he can do this, but he has to strong for the kid. For Peter.

“I’m sorry to hear that. We finally got a bedroom set up for you. Would you like to see it?”

“I get a bed?” Peter asks, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. 

Tony looks at him in disbelief. Even when Tony was being held in Afghanistan, he had had a bed. What was Peter’s life like over the past few weeks, if they didn’t even give him something to sleep on?

“Of course you get a bed!” Tony says trying to keep his voice calm, so that he doesn’t startle Peter. “Come on, why don’t we go see it.”

Tony opens the door, and moves aside to let the kid go first. That’s when he notices the huge holes in the wall.

“What happened there?” Tony asks, conversationally, making sure to not sound as if he was blaming Peter.

“A man named Steve was upset because he lost his friend, Peter. He punched the wall a few times,” Peter explains, moving out into the hallway.

Tony was starting to think that he might just follow Cap’s lead by the end of the night.

 

While Bucky had been in surgery, Natasha and Steve had come up with a plan to return Peter’s memory based on what they knew about Bucky’s experiences, and what they knew about Hydra. They told Tony that Bucky had slowly regained his old memories because he started to question the programming. So, while Steve and Natasha were looking after Bucky, it’s Tony’s job to start deprogramming Peter. Time to play twenty questions. 

Peter sits on the bed, slowly moving his hands over the fabric, like he has never felt anything like it before.

Tony starts off simple.

“What’s your name?”

“Everyone calls me Peter,” 

He says bouncing up and down slightly, testing the mattress.

“Do you believe your name is Peter?”

“No.”

“So, what’s your name?”

“The Asset, or the Winter Soldier.”

“Were you always the Asset?” 

Peter looks up, caught off guard by the question.

“For as long as I can remember.”

“And how long is that?”

Peter shifts, uncomfortably on the bed, drawing one of his legs up to his chest.

“I can remember lots of things……. Most of them are like blurry photos, though.”

Tony looks at the kid, unsure if he should dig deeper along this train of thought. Natasha had said that things might get hard to listen to, but that he should keep pushing. But what about the kid? Had anyone thought about how hard it might be for him to recount what happened to him?

“Peter, I’m going to ask you some more questions. They might be able to help you, but they might be difficult to answer. If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. Okay?”

“How are they going to help me?”

“We want to make your memories clear again. We don’t want them to be blurry photographs, as you put it.”

Peter looks uncertain for a moment, but then nods.

“What do you remember?” Tony asks.

“There was a man…” Peter begins, drawing his other knee up to his chest. It’s like he is trying to build a wall between himself, and the memories that he is recounting.

“The man with a metal arm?”

“He was there, but there was a different man. A cruel man. He did things….”

Tony closes his eyes, already trying to steady the anger he feels towards Hydra.

“What sort of things?” Tony manages to choke out, looking at Peter once more.

“There was so much water. Endless amounts of water. And the pain, it was too much to bear…. But I would. I would bear it for hours. And he would laugh. He would laugh until I could no longer stand. Or until I passed out. Or until he got bored. But I would bear it, because I am a good soldier, and a good soldier does as he is told.”

It all becomes too much for Tony. He just stares at the kid with a look of disbelief, horror, anger, and pain. He wishes Clint hadn’t blown up the base, just so that he could get the honor to destroy the people who had broken this kid so damn much.

“Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?” Peter asks.

“You said nothing wrong, Peter,” Tony says, hating how he even had to clarify that.

“Peter, do you remember the other man? The man with the metal arm?”

“Yes,” Peter says his body relaxing slightly at the mention of the other man.

“Would you like to see him? I think he will help you make sense of the last few weeks.”

“He’s here?” Peter looks at Tony like he is trying to assess the validity of Tony’s statement.

“Yes, he’s here. We brought him here, just like we brought you here. We want to help you guys.”

“I guess that would be alright.”

“Great! I know that he is dying to see you.”

And with that, Tony opens the door, and leads Peter to Bucky’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it!
> 
> Get ready for all the feels tomorrow!!


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go according to plan.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't even tell you guys how much I appreciate you. I was just trying to tell you guys that I would be late with the update, and I wanted to yell at internet bullies, but you guys like took it upon yourselves to become my mini support group, and it made a shitty night into a significantly less shitty night. <3
> 
> I love each and every one of you, and I wish I could give you all hugs in person. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such incredible humans. Don't ever change your kind ways <3 <3 <3

“So, you should be up and moving around before you know it,” Steve says, with a large smile. Bucky grins. He had missed Steve so much over the past month.

They both look up as there is a knock at the door.

“Hey lovebirds? You decent? I’ve got some young impressionable eyes here with me!” Tony yells through the door.

“Just a minute, Tony!” Steve yells back, and reaches down for something on the ground.

Bucky’s heart stops when the cane rises into his field of vision. He knew he had shot Steve, but it had been a month. He had advanced healing. He should be better by now. 

Bucky stares, fixated on the cane.

Steve’s grin vanishes as he catches sight of Bucky’s expression.

“Uh, uh. Don’t do this. It wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in control. I don’t blame you.”

“Steve…..Please tell me you’re going to be able to walk again…. I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

“Bucky, I’m fine. Bruce says I will be good as new. It’s just taking a little longer than normal to heal. And you have nothing, I repeat, nothing to be sorry for. Do you hear me? Not a thing.”

Steve leans down and gives Bucky a quick kiss.

There is more knocking on the door.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Steve yells, making his way over to the door.

Bucky can see Steve tense slightly, as he opens the door.

“This might not be the best time, Tony,” Steve says.

Bucky knew exactly who was just beyond his line of sight.

“I want to see him,” Bucky says with a voice that leaves no room for arguments.

Steve looks over at him, like he wants to protect Bucky, but Bucky doesn’t deserve protecting from this. He should have been able to save Peter. He failed the kid, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to abandon him.

Tony walks in first, and turns around to face Peter.

“Come on, kid. Nothing to be afraid of. Bucky’s a big old teddy bear. Isn’t that right, Rogers?” Tony says.

“Bucky?” Peter’s voice sounds hesitant, like he’s unsure if he wants to be here.

Bucky clenches his jaw. He figured that Peter wouldn’t remember him, but he had hoped that the team would have made a little bit of progress by now.

“Yeah, kid. Bucky. The man that was there with you. The nice one.” Tony explains.

“Bucky.” The kid says, a little bit more sure of himself.

Slowly, Peter walks into the room. This is the first time Bucky has gotten a good look at him since the day Bram had come to the cell to show off. Tears well in Bucky’s eyes. Peter is wearing a skin tight black suit, that just shows how much weight he had lost over the past month, and he wasn’t even that big to begin with. He is still as dirty as the last time Bucky had seen him.

The only thing that gave Bucky any sense of relief was that Peter was showing emotion, even if is was just nervousness and distrust. That was a big improvement on the the Peter who let Bram touch him without flinching. At least he was feeling something.

“Hey, Peter. How are you doing?” Bucky asks, giving the boy a small smile.

“I know you,” Peter says, furrowing his brows.

“Yeah, Pete. It’s me, Bucky.”

“I know you,” Peter says again more forcefully.

Bucky looks at Steve, confused. Peter takes a step back, putting more distance between them.

“I know you. You’re from there. You’re going to take me back. I can’t go back. Not now. They would be so angry. He would be so angry. I can’t go back. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t!” Peter starts shaking, and crouches down onto the floor holding his head, making himself small.

Steve goes and touches him lightly on the back. Peter flinches, but doesn’t move. Steve proceeds to gently run his hand up and down the boy’s back, trying to soothe him. Bucky stares, horrified by the whole scene. It was like the final blow to his heart. Hydra had turned Peter against him.

“Hey, kid, shhh,” Steve says in a low voice, “No one is going anywhere. That’s a nice man, remember? He’s like you. He doesn’t want to go back either.”

“I can’t go back…” Peter quietly sobs.

“I know, kid, I know.” Steve reasurres.

Bucky finally finds his voice.

“Bram’s dead, Peter. I killed him. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

Peter looks up at him.

“You killed the bad man?”

“I killed the bad man,” Bucky nods in confirmation. 

Peter looks confused, and somehow broken.

“If the bad man is dead, who does the Asset report to? The Asset’s purpose in life is to carry out missions. He can’t be dead. The Asset needs him,” Peter cries.

Bucky fights back the bile rising in his throat. 

“You don’t need that asshole, Peter,” Bucky growls unable to keep his emotions in check any longer.

“Maybe we should call it a night. I think it’s been a long day for everyone,” Tony suggests seeing the situation deteriorating before his eyes.

“Good idea,” Steve says looking back and forth between Peter and Bucky, with a look of extreme concern., “Why don’t you go with Tony, Peter? I’m sure he can get you all settled, right Tony?”

“Yeah. Come on, kid,” Tony stretches his hand out to Peter. After a second, Peter takes his hand and slowly lifts himself off the floor. He gives Bucky one last look with his red-rimmed eyes, before disappearing with Tony.

Steve comes and lays down next to Bucky, putting one arm around him, and nestling his face in Bucky’s hair.

“It’s not your fault. None of it is your fault,” Steve whispers, knowing it’s exactly what Bucky needs to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for making such a sad chapter after everyone was so nice to me, but the story must go on, and well this is where the story goes.... 
> 
> <3


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do I detect a bit of hope??? :O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit of a shorter chapter, but I felt like this needed to be it's own chapter.
> 
> Enjoy! :)  
> <3

The Asset lies awake staring at the ceiling. He watches the ceiling fan go around, and around, and around.

Nothing is making any sense.

He is so confused.

The Asset doesn’t understand these people. Why would the woman named Natasha take him? She is clearly an enemy of Hydra, but she does not hurt the Asset. None of them do. They all get so upset when they look at him, and he can’t figure out why.

Then there is that man. The one with the metal arm. What is he doing here? How did he get here? He must be here to take the Asset back. He must be.

But he said that the bad man was dead. Bram. That’s his name.

Was his name?

The Asset rubs his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

Was Bram really dead? If he was dead, what was the Asset going to do? He could go back to that place, but the only other person he really knew there was now here with him. 

Could he trust that man? Bucky? He had never hurt the Asset. At least the Asset doesn’t think so. But maybe that was just another game that Bram had come up with. Bram loves games.

Loved?

The Asset didn’t know who to trust. These people don’t seem like they want to hurt him, but he doesn’t know why they are being so nice.

It has to be a game. One of Bram’s cruel, cruel games.

He’s testing the Asset. Making sure the Asset is loyal.

That must be why they keep calling the Asset Peter.

If he starts to accept the name Peter, than Bram will know that the Asset is not loyal. That the Asset needs more pain.

The Asset has a flash of memories.

Bram singing a thinly veiled threat:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.

The Asset remembered that he was Humpty Dumpty, but who were the king’s horses and the king’s men? The Asset didn’t have anyone. No one to put him together again. Maybe that was part of the threat. Bram must have known that if the Asset was bad, no one would come and help him. No one would make the pain stop.

The Asset must be a good soldier. The Asset will not fall. He will not break.

A tiny little voice makes itself heard in the Asset’s mind.

But what if…. What if it isn’t a game?

What if the man with the metal arm isn’t here to take you away?

What if Bram is really dead?

What if these people are really trying to help you?

 

What if your name is really Peter?

 

The Asset pushes the thought aside, flips over, and tries to fall asleep.

 

But the thought keeps creeping back up like a persistent weed.

 

What if your name is Peter? 

 

What if your name is Peter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT IF HIS NAME IS FRICKIN' PETER?!?!?!?


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Bruce make me breakfast please!!??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to give everyone a heads up that I have a wedding to go to this weekend, and a ton of stuff to get done before said wedding. That means that my updates may be a bit more sporadic than usual, especially later in the week and over the weekend. So, if I don't post, please don't freak out!! I will be back! I just have a crazy busy week ahead of me!
> 
> Love you all!! <3

Bruce never feels quite like himself the few days after the other guy makes an appearance. He’s always a bit more sluggish, and his muscles are sore like he had had an intense workout. Even though he isn’t feeling the best, Bruce gets out of bed knowing that everyone in the tower needs a morale booster.

So, Bruce makes his way down to the kitchen. He is unsurprised when he finds that everyone is still asleep. Everyone, expect Peter. 

Peter is sitting on the back of the couch, staring out over the city. He has some bedhead, and is wearing Iron Man pajamas (probably courtesy of Tony). It is probably the most relaxed Bruce has ever seen him. Even before he was taken, Peter had been a giant ball of nerves. 

This Peter, the Peter who thinks he’s alone, is stoic. Bruce wonders what Peter is thinking about. He hopes it is something at least remotely happy. 

Bruce rustles around in the kitchen cabinets, making himself known to Peter. Peter immediately tenses, and looks over at where Bruce is standing.

“Morning, Peter! I didn’t know you were such an early riser,” Bruce says beaming at Peter while he takes out a mixing bowl.

“I’m not. I couldn’t sleep,” Peter says simply, turning back to stare at the city.

Bruce furrows his brows, worried about the kid.

“Well, you must be hungry. I’m making some cinnamon, brown sugar pancakes for everyone. They should be ready in a few minutes. Does that sound good?”

Bruce sees Peter shift ever so slightly at the mention of pancakes, but Peter doesn’t say anything. Bruce takes it as a win though. Anything to make Peter’s day just a little bit better.

As Bruce is mixing the batter, Clint walks in wearing black sweatpants, and a fitted grey t-shirt. 

He says nothing, heading straight for the coffee maker. Clint pours himself a large mug of coffee, sits down at the counter, and takes several large gulps of the drink.

Finally, he looks up at Bruce.

“Morning, Bruce,” He turns in Peter’s direction, “Morning, Peter.” His voice sounds tight when he says Peter’s name. Bruce wonders how well the talk went with Natasha. It probably doesn’t help that Clint has kids of his own that he probably sees in Peter.

Again, Peter doesn’t say anything, and just continues to stare out the large windows.

“Peter, your pancakes are almost done. Do you want to come join Clint at the counter?”

Peter looks over at them, clearly skeptical.

He slowly lowers himself off the back of the couch, and walks over. He’s very hesitant.

“As much as I hate admitting it, Bruce is a good cook, kid. Whenever I smell his cooking, no matter what I’m doing, I make my way to the kitchen. Come on, you’ll enjoy it,” Clint encourages Peter, tapping the stool next to him.

Peter looks at Clint, then at the stool, then back at Clint. Without taking his eyes of Barton, Peter hoists himself up onto the stool.

“Would you like some syrup, Peter?” Bruce asks, rummaging in the fridge to find it. When he doesn’t hear anything, Bruce looks over at the kid. Peter is staring at him with a calculating look. He nods.

“Great!” Bruce says, pretending he isn’t uneasy around the kid, “Syrup it is!”

Bruce sets the heaping stack of pancakes in front of Peter.

“Where’s mine?!” Clint asks, with pretend offense.

“I’m teaching you patience, Clint. You could really use some,” Bruce teases.

They both pause, and look at Peter, observing his next move. 

Peter pokes the pancakes with his fork, like he is expecting them to be alive. When they don’t move, he carefully begins to cut off a small bite, and pops it into his mouth.

He starts chewing slowly, then stops chewing all together and just swallows it. He moves in on the pancakes cutting off larger and larger pieces each time. 

“Woah, kid, slow down! You’re going to choke!” Clint says, looking over at Peter with both concern and fascination, “and I thought I liked your cooking, Bruce….”

Peter was finished with his stack of pancakes before Bruce had even finished making Clint’s.

Bruce is just about to ask Peter if he wants more when Peter goes stiff as a board.

Bruce turns around and sees Steve wheeling in Bucky, who is in a wheelchair.

“Morning, everyone. Everyone sleep well?” Steve asks, as he stares at Peter, clearly trying to gauge how freaked out Peter is.

“Hey, Barnes. Welcome home. How you holding up?” Clint asks oblivious to the tension in the air.

“I’ll live,” Bucky says staring at Peter.

Clint finally realizes that something is not right.

“God, I am always missing something! Where is Natasha? I need a bloody translator when I hang out with you people,” He mutters, digging into the pancakes that Bruce had just placed in front of him.

Steve goes over to Peter, after making sure that Bucky is set up at the table.

“How was your room last night? I see you have some new pajamas.” 

“It was fine,” Peter says, obviously agitated by Bucky’s presence. He turns to face Steve, “Why am I here?” he blurts out, finally saying what he was probably thinking about all morning.

“Because you need our help. Your hurt, Peter,” Steve says taken aback by the question.

“I don’t feel hurt. I feel fine. I don’t understand why you all care about me so much. It doesn’t make any sense. If this is some sort of game….. If Bram set this up….. I’m loyal. I’ll always be loyal. I’m a good soldier. You don’t need to test me. I’ll behave.”

They all stare at Peter, dumbstruck.

Bucky begins to clench and unclench his fists. But when he speaks his voice is devoid of anger. He is well past anger. Now, it contains only sorrow.

“Peter….. I told you last night. Bram is dead. I killed him. I killed him so that we could both live, Peter. And yes, you are Peter. Because, I know what your brain is doing right now. I’ve been there. Hell, sometimes I still am there! You are not the Asset. You are not the Winter Soldier. You are Peter Parker. You are Spiderman. You are a genius high school kid, who lives with his loving Aunt May in Queens. You aren’t Hydra’s play thing. You aren’t anyone’s. You are Peter Parker. You are caring. You are loving. You are a total lovable goofball. This isn’t you. This isn’t--” Bucky chokes up, turning away from them.

Steve rushes over as quickly as his cane will allow. He kneels next to Bucky, and starts rubbing his arm, while talking to him in a hushed voice.

No one really talks much after that. They just all eat their pancakes in silence, and slowly file out as they finish.

Soon, Peter is the only one left besides Bruce, who is still waiting on Sam, Tony, and Nat to show up.

Peter has moved back over to the couch.

He seems almost as stoic as before.

But Bruce can tell.

Something Bucky had said had gotten under the kid’s skin.

There is a look in his eye that wasn’t there before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHhhh we are getting closer and closer to getting Peter back!!!!
> 
> Also, like my heart aches for Bucky. He identifies with Peter so much, and that is why it is hurting him so much to see Peter like this. He knows the pain and confusion that Peter is feeling. He just wants Peter to be okay again!! D:


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter, is that you???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? WHAT?! 1000 kudos! WHAATT?! WHY?! 
> 
> I'M SPEECHLESS. I'VE GOT NO WORDS!!
> 
> Omg, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! <3 <3 <3
> 
> YOU ALL ARE AMAZING, WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW!!! <3 <3 <3

The Asset can hear Natasha and Bruce behind him. Natasha had been the last one to come down for breakfast. 

The Asset examines the window. Judging by the view of the city, he assumes that they are approximately 1000 feet up. A fall from this height would kill him. Thankfully, he doesn’t plan on falling. He just needs to make sure that he doesn’t fall out of the window when he breaks the glass. He also can’t get caught. He needs--

“Hello? Peter?” The Asset jumps as Natasha taps him on the shoulder, “Are you with us?”

“Hmm? Yeah, sorry. Lost in my thoughts,” he says, trying not to arouse suspicion.

“Well, as I was saying, I’m going to go get dressed, and I’ll be down in a few minutes. You should do the same, and we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday. Sound good?”

He nods, looking around for Bruce.

“Yeah, sounds good. Where did Bruce go?”

“He went to go get dressed. Believe it or not, the Avenger’s don’t lounge around in their pajamas on their off days,” She says, pressing the elevator button, “Now get going, and I’ll meet you back here in thirty minutes.”

The Asset starts to walk towards the hallway, but as soon as the elevator doors close, he heads straight back into the kitchen. He looks once more at the window. Assuming that his calculations are correct, the Asset should be able to make it down to the ground before anyone else using the elevator can. At that point he knows the streets of New York so well that he will be able to lose anyone.

He just needs to leave.

Nothing makes sense, and it’s making his head hurt.

One minute he’ll see hazy memories of water. So much water. And the next, he’ll see a woman, laughing at something while eating Chinese food. She seems so happy. That can’t be the Asset’s memory. These people are doing something to him. He has to leave. He has to get out.

And so he does.

The Asset picks up a chair and slams it three times, hard, against the glass, breaking it.

“Mr. Parker, you do not have authorization to make modifications to this structure. Tony Stark will be notified,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informs him.

“You do that,” The Asset says, as he starts to climb as quickly as he can down the side of the building.

 

Tony had been in the middle of a nice scalding hot shower when F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice ruins his morning.

“Sir, Mr. Parker has just destroyed the windows on the 85th floor near the kitchen. Should I call a window repair service?”

Tony nearly slips, catching himself at the last moment.

“WHAT?” He yells.

“Mr. Parker has just destroyed--”

“Yes, I got that Friday,” Tony interrupts, “can you tell me why our house guest destroyed the windows!?”

“It appears that Mr. Parker has exited the structure in a very unconventional way. He is currently just above floor forty. He is gathering quite a crowd outside.”

“Shit. Shit. Shit!” Tony yells, slamming the water off, and hopping out of the shower, “Friday, inform all team members that Peter is no longer in the tower. Keep them as updated as you can on the kid’s location.”

 

The Asset had expected to draw quite a crowd when he started climbing his way down the side of the skyscraper. He just hoped that none of the onlookers would get in his way. 

15 floors to go.

10 floors to go.

5 floors to go.

3,2,1.

He made it to the ground with no sign of the Avengers.

He was home free.

People started rushing at him, holding up phones. He dodged all of them, easily weaving his way through the crowd. 

“Peter! Wait!”

It was Natasha.

The Asset kept on going.

He ran, and ran, and ran. He zigzagged through endless side streets, and alleys.

No one would be able to find him.

Not Hydra. Not the Avengers. No one.

He would be free.

Free to make his own memories. To know what was real, and what was fake. 

To know who to trust.

After about two hours of running randomly, the Asset finally sinks to the ground next to a dumpster to catch his breath.

He smiles. The first genuine smile in a long time. He starts laughing hysterically.

It was just so damn funny. What “it” was, the Asset didn’t know, but it was hysterical.

He sat there for a long time, just listening as the city moved and changed around him. Horns honking. People yelling. Kids laughing.

The sun had almost set by the time the Asset realized almost the entire day had past, and he was getting desperately hungry and thirsty.

He was just about to get up when he hears a man’s voice.

“Come on, man! I paid almost double last week! Just give me a little bit. I’ve got money coming in from this big shipment, but it doesn’t get here until Thursday. Just something to get me through. Have I ever not paid up?”

“No way, Leon. You know the rules. No cash, no product.”

“I need it, man! If you don’t give it to me, I’m going to have to take it.”

The Asset hears a knife being drawn.

“Don’t do this, Leon. Just walk away. If you walk away now, you won’t end up six feet under.”

“Screw you, man.”

The Asset hears a short scuffle, and then a deafening bang.

The sound of a gunshot.

And it all comes back.

Everything.

And Peter is frozen with fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ........
> 
> Peter?


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PETER MY BABY!!!! D:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys <3

“Anything?” Tony asks through the earpiece.

“That’s a negative,” Natasha says, reluctantly.

“Damn it! How could you lose the kid?! He was right there! He was right fucking there!”

Natasha doesn’t say anything. He’s right. She was right there, but somehow Peter had slipped right through her fingers. One second he was there, and the next he wasn’t.

“Come on, Tony. It’s not her fault,” She hears Sam say.

“It is. I should have been faster. I should have stopped him.”

“Nat….” Sam sighs, “Look, this isn’t helping anyone by trying to place the blame. Let’s just keep looking. The sun is already setting. We need to find him before it gets dark.”

 

Nothing feels real.

It all feels like a horrible, messed up dream.

He couldn’t have killed those men. It wasn’t him. He didn’t do it.

But he remembers the looks on their faces. The light leaving their eyes.

He didn’t do it. He didn’t do it. He didn’t do it. He didn’t do it.

Someone is touching his shoulder. It’s so bright. He closes his eyes, bringing his legs closer to his chest.

He just wants it all to go away. Getting shot. The trap. Bram. The tank. Those words. His….his victims. All of it. 

He just wants to be okay again. He just needs someone to tell him it’s going to be okay again.

 

“Guys I think I’ve got something!” Bruce says.

“Details, Bruce,” Tony says.

“Police responded to a gunshot near the intersection of Newport and Bristol in Brooklyn. When they arrived on the scene they found one man with a severe gunshot wound, and a traumatized teenager wearing ironman pajamas.”

“Sounds like Peter. Are they still on the scene with him?” Natasha asks.

“Yeah, they say he hasn’t said a word, and he won’t let anyone come near him. The first cop who tried to talk to him walked away with a black eye. They say he’s pretty shaken up.”

“I’m closest to the scene. I’ll go check it out,” Natasha says.

“Copy,” Sam says.

“We’ll wait for your update,” Tony adds.

Natasha flips on the SUV’s sirens, and starts speeding towards the crime scene. She slams on the breaks when she pulls up, and jumps out of the car, running towards the yellow crime scene tape.

“Woah there, ma’am. This is an open investigation. You can’t come over here,” A cop says, holding up his hands to stop her.

She whips out her credentials.

“I’m an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m claiming jurisdiction over this case, but the NYPD is welcome to assist,” she says, pushing away his arms, and ducking under the tape. The cop stands there with his mouth hanging open.

“You can’t just take our case! What right does S.H.I.E.L.D. have to claim jurisdiction?”

Natasha spins on the cop, jabs a finger in his chest, and says in an angry whisper, “That kid over there. He’s one of ours, and your cop buddies have been making my job a whole lot more difficult by getting all up in his face!”

“He’s a potential suspect in a shooting! Not to mention the fact that one of my ‘cop buddies’ is now sporting a black eye, thanks to your friend!” The cop retorts.

“Look. You guys can deal with the shooting case. All I came for is the kid,” and with that, Natasha turns her back on the cop to go and find Peter.

Peter looks like he’s been through hell. He has wedged himself into the corner of the dumpster and the wall. He is staring straight ahead, and is muttering something under his breath. His hair is soaked with sweat, and he is visibly shaking.

Natasha gets close to the ground, her hands open and extended in front of her.

“Hey, Peter. Look, I don’t know what spooked you in the tower, but no one is going to bring you back to Hydra. Everyone there just wants to help you.”

Peter doesn’t even glance in her direction. There is no indication that he is even aware of her presence. He just continues to mumble under his breath.

She moves slightly forward, until she is right next to him. She reaches out, and gently places a hand on his forearm.

As soon as her hand touches him, he jumps. His head snaps in her direction, their eyes locking. He has a death grip on her arm.

“Natasha?” He whimpers.

“Yeah, Pete, it’s me.”

“You… You have to get away,” He starts trying to push himself further into the corner, “You have to get away. I’m not safe. I’ve done things, Natasha. I’ve...I’ve hurt people.”

Natasha looks at him more carefully.

“Are you Peter, or the Asset?” she asks.

“I’m neither. Peter would never have done the things that I’ve done. I...I….” He starts breaking down. Natasha grabs his hands.

“Peter, listen to me. It’s not your fault. Whatever you did, you didn’t have any control! You couldn’t have done anything.”

“But I could have!” He sobs, “I could have fought harder. I couldn’t take it anymore….. I just wanted it to be over. I felt like I was going to die. I didn’t want to die. It’s all my fault. Those men are dead because of me!”

“No, Peter. They’re dead because of Bram,” Peter flinches at Bram’s name, “Why don’t we go home? We can get you into something else besides these god awful pajamas. Bruce can make us some nice hot soup. Do you think you can do that for me?”

He looks at her like she is asking the impossible, but when she offers him a hand he takes it.

“It’s going to be okay, Peter. Everything is going to be okay. You’re finally going home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cries*


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter's home! <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Hey lovelies! This chapter touches on self harm, but not in a typical sense. It's more mental self harm. Regardless, please take care of yourselves!! If you need help please seek it out. I love you all so much <3
> 
> Really not sure about my characterization of Tony in this chapter. His dialogue is so hard to write. Sorry if it's shitty. :/
> 
> <3

“Bruce?” Natasha says into her ear piece.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve located Peter. He’s uninjured, but his memories have resurfaced. He’s not handling it well. I think we should keep everyone away for the moment. Too many people all at once might upset him. Can you let the others know?”

“Copy. I’ll meet you in the garage when you get here.”

“Copy. See you in five.”

Natasha glances over at Peter who is sitting next to her in the car. He is staring out the window. He has stopped shaking, but his knees are still pulled up to his chest, and his eyes are puffy and red.

“We’re almost there,” Natasha says, “It will just be Bruce and me when we get there. I thought that would probably be preferable to the whole team.”

Peter doesn’t say anything, but Natasha assumes that he heard her.

When they pull into the garage, Natasha sees Bruce waiting for them. She parks the car and gets out. Peter doesn’t move to get out of the car, which is fine because Natasha wants a minute to talk to Bruce alone.

“Hey, Bruce” 

“How is he?”

“I think he’s in shock. All of those memories, all at the same time. It’s enough to make anyone go crazy. The only people who might be able to relate are Clint and Bucky. It doesn’t help that he’s blaming himself for the actions of the Winter Soldier.”

“He’s blaming himself?! But he didn’t have any control!” Bruce says in a horrified whisper.

“He feels as if he should have fought harder against Bram. It’s horrible. Anyway, I think we should put him back in the Med-Bay for now. It will be easier to keep an eye on him that way.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

Bruce walks over to the SUV, and opens the passenger side door.

“Hey, Peter. Welcome home. Do you mind if I help you out of your seat?”

When Peter doesn’t object, Bruce reaches over and unbuckles the seatbelt. 

“I brought a wheelchair down with me, but if you prefer to walk…”

Bruce looks at the kid, waiting for a response.

Peter glances in his direction like he’s in some sort of haze.

“I can...I can walk.”

“Great,” says Bruce with a genuine smile.

Bruce grabs the wheelchair, while Natasha puts a hand lightly on Peter’s shoulder, guiding him towards the elevator.

 

“I want to see him,” Bucky argues.

“And you will, Buck, just as soon as Bruce and Nat give the all clear,” Steve says, running his fingers through his boyfriend’s hair.

“It won’t be long,” Clint chimes in, “they just want to make sure that we don’t overwhelm an already overwhelmed kid.”

“I can help him, though! I know what he’s going through. I know what it’s like,” Bucky exclaims.

Steve wraps his arms around Bucky, and rests his head on the man’s shoulder.

“We know you can, darling. Just give him a little bit of time to process what’s happened,” Steve says gently.

Bucky sighs, and nods in resignation. 

Everyone is silent for a moment, lost in their own thoughts.

Tony, not being a huge fan of silence, walks over and sits on the couch next to Sam.

“Hey, enough about Peter. Does no one care about the state of those Iron Man pajamas?” Tony asks in mock disgust, clearly trying to lighten the mood.

Sam gives him a look.

“It’s just you, man.”

“Those were limited edition! Thankfully, I’m me, and I have connections with the designer. I’m not going to let Peter run around in Hulk pajamas. He’ll be made fun of. Everyone knows that I’m the public’s favorite. Friday?”

“Already on it, sir.”

“Wonderful.”

 

Peter sits on the hospital bed. He is feeling a bit more calm since returning to the tower. Bruce checked his vitals, just to make sure that he was okay. Besides the typical indicators of anxiety, Peter was fine.

Natasha sits next to him. Her face looks relaxed and calm, but her eyes give her away. 

“How are you feeling now, Peter?” she asks him.

He shrugs, and starts fiddling with the blanket that covers his lap. He knows exactly how he feels, but he also knows how much it will hurt those around him if he’s honest. He can’t tell Natasha. He can’t tell Bruce. He can’t tell anyone. 

Peter can’t bring himself to hurt anymore people.

Even if it means hurting himself.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Bruce asks.

He shakes his head no. His lip trembles. He forces himself to stay calm and collected. Natasha had caught him off guard in the alley, but he had more control now. He will not show them how hurt he really is.

He will not show them the empty black hole that now resides inside him.

“I’m going to go make some food. How does chicken vegetable soup sound? I think we all could use a little bit of comfort food,” Bruce offers.

“Sounds wonderful, Bruce,” Natasha says, giving him a smile, “Peter, why don’t you try to get some sleep while Bruce is making dinner. I’ll be right here reading…”

Natasha picks up a book that was left on the nightstand from Peter’s previous visit to the Med-Bay.

“...reading The Manchurian Candidate,” she looks at Bruce, “Let me guess. Bucky’s?”

“Bucky’s,” he confirms, “I think he was trying to find someone to relate to.”

Natasha shifts getting comfortable in the seat, and opens the book.

Peter tries to shut his eyes, and fall asleep, but his mind won’t quiet.

All he can see when he closes his eyes is water, Bram, and so much blood.

Too much blood.

Peter wonders if he’ll ever be able to sleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is ready for all the hugs, and pajama parties, and hot cocoa, and warm blankets?!?!!?


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh feelings!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!! :D  
> Did you miss me? hahah <3
> 
> I missed you guys <3

Bruce had tried to take the soup to Peter, but Bucky was adamant. He needed to do this. He needed to see Peter. Steve had offered to go with, but this was something that Bucky needed to do alone.

He wheels into the Med-Bay with the tray of soup resting on his lap. Natasha is sitting in a chair reading the book he had left there. Her feet are resting on the side of Peter’s bed. When she sees him approaching, she puts a finger to her lips, and then points at Peter.

As quietly as he can, Bucky places the bowl of soup on the nightstand, and rolls the wheelchair over to where Natasha is sitting.

“How is he, really?” Bucky whispers, knowing that Natasha will be frank with him.

“To be honest, a lot like you were when you were getting your memories back. Peter is very dazed and confused. He was practically catatonic when I found him, and he’s still not great. I don’t pretend to know what either of you went through during your programming, but I’ve been under Hydra’s control before. He won’t walk away unscathed. We definitely didn’t.”

Natasha looks at him with a knowing look.

“That being said,” she continues, “we also turned out okay. Both us are stronger because of our experiences. Give Peter time to heal. He won’t ever be whole again, but he’ll be alright. He’ll make it work, just like we do.”

“I just wish he didn’t have to,” Bucky says looking over at Peter, who was curled up underneath the blankets breathing deeply.

Natasha must have noticed Bucky watching Peter.

“You know I thought he would never fall asleep. He kept tossing and turning. I used a trick I learned when trying to get you to fall asleep. I put my feet on the bed, and it worked like a charm. He fell asleep almost instantly. Like you, Peter just needs someone to be there for him. Someone to let him know that everything will be okay. For you that was me, until Steve came around. Now you two are inseparable, and I’m sure you sleep fine with him by your side. I’m sure you remember those nights, though. Especially the days when the Seven Heads of Hydra were in a bad mood. Or the days when we wouldn’t get food.”

“I always thought you were just trying to annoy me by rubbing your dirty feet all over my bed,” Bucky says smiling, and giving her a playful shove, “You were always there for me, weren’t you?”

“Don’t pretend that you didn’t always have my back as well.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. I plan on bragging about my heroics to everyone as soon as Peter is okay again,” Bucky jokes.

Natasha rolls her eyes, but smiles as she does it.

“I don’t need another Tony in my life,” she says, “I can only tolerate so much narcissism before I want to start tearing my hair out.”

Natasha closes the book, and tosses it to Bucky.

“By the way, can’t you pick something happier to read? The Manchurian Candidate just hits too close to home.”

“Sorry,” Bucky says picking up the book, and leafing through the pages.

“Don’t apologize, just leave me some better reading material next time. Like, Eugene Onegin. It’s not exactly happy, but it’s a lot better than that,” she says eyeing the book, “I think I’m going to go get some of that soup before Clint and Sam eat it all. Can you watch him?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bucky says.

“Here, put your good leg up on the bed,” Bucky raises his leg, “Gently! You don’t want to wake him.”

Natasha slowly lifts her legs off of the bed and stands up. 

“Now listen carefully. I’m banking on the fact that if I leave, you two won’t end up spazzing each other out. Happy thoughts, okay?”

“Happy thoughts.”

“Okay. Tell Friday to get me if you need anything,” she says, pausing at the door, obviously worried to leave them alone.

“It’ll be fine, Nat. Go get some food.”

She nods.

“Right. Food.”

She lingers a second more, before turning to go.

Bucky is about to pick up where he left off in The Manchurian Candidate, but thinks better of it and tosses it into the now empty chair beside him. Maybe he should be reading something a little less relevant to his life. 

Bucky wishes he had a sketchbook. Steve had been teaching him how to draw in his free time. It helped relieve both of them of stress. Bucky had been getting quite good at it recently. He would often draw portraits of Steve, but get the tiniest detail wrong on purpose. Steve would then spend hours showing him how to make the portrait more realistic. Bucky loved watching Steve get so passionate about art. His eyes would come alive, and he would forget everything around them. It was just him, Bucky, and the paper. It was there own little bubble. Their secret hidden world. 

But Bucky didn’t have the sketchbook, and Steve wasn’t there, so he had to find other ways to entertain himself. 

He stared out the window for a while, watching the tiny cars move around the city without a care in the world. It was still all so new to him. Present day New York was like an alien planet compared to the New York of his childhood. He didn’t dislike it, it was just unfamiliar. 

At some point Bucky had started to hum. He started with old war tunes that some of his fellow soldiers would sing around camp, but eventually he began humming Natasha’s lullaby. It was always there in the back of his mind. It was one of the few constants in his life. He treasured the memory of Natasha’s programing more than most of his other memories. If he could remember it, it meant he was still at least partly in control. It meant he wasn’t a lost cause.

When he had finished the tune, he was about to start the song over when he felt the bed shift slightly under his foot.

“Where did you learn it? That song.”

Bucky looks over at Peter, and is stunned to find him wide awake. He wonders how long the kid had just been lying there listening to him.

“Natasha sang it for me a long time ago. She did reverse programming to help me keep my memories. It’s the same thing I did for you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You feel calmer when you hear the song, don’t you? More in control? You’re head probably clears up, and you start to come to your senses. You probably start to think about me, right? And the cell?”

“I guess,” Peter says, looking at him.

“It’s a constant. Something for you to hold onto if you ever feel yourself slipping. Something that other people can sing or hum to get through to you if you start to become lost. It’s the best I could do for you at the time. I’m sorry I couldn’t have done more for you, Peter. I’m sorry that I couldn’t stop this all from happening.”

Bucky examines his hands, unable to look Peter in the eye.

“Your sorry? I’m the one who should be sorry. You fought for me every single day, and I did nothing. I let them torture you because I couldn’t bring myself to move. I was such a burden to you. I’m sure you could have broken out way sooner if it wasn’t for me!”

Bucky leans forward looking Peter straight in the eyes.

“You were not a burden to me, Peter, and you aren’t a burden to me now. You are going to blame yourself for a lot of things over the next few days. I know. I’ve gone through what you are going through. None of it is your fault, Peter. Not me, not the death of your targets, not Steve. None of it. You can’t always fight the programming. I was stuck in mine for decades. This body has killed people, Peter. Nice people. But it wasn’t me. It was the Winter Soldier. The same person who killed those people over the past week. Do you understand me, Peter? You aren’t the Winter Soldier.” 

“Then why do I have the memories? Why am I forced to relive the gruesome things he did to them everytime I close my eyes? If I’m not the Winter Soldier, then how come I can still feel the blood on my hands? How can I still feel their last breath on my skin? If what you are saying is true, and I am not the Winter Soldier, then the Winter Soldier must still be possessing my body, Bucky, because I sure as hell don’t feel like Peter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PETER JUST LET THE AVENGERS LOVE YOU!!


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I spy with my little eye, FLUFF!! :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So DEVILATWORK wanted to hear Natasha's lullaby. While there isn't a specific lullaby that I had in mind for Natasha's lullaby when writing this, Bayu Baushki Bayu was kind of my inspiration. If you would like to listen to it, this is the version that I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9wrGmsJMw4 
> 
> Also, if I have any Russian readers, I'm sure you are probably familiar with this lullaby, and I'm sorry if I butchered the name!  
> 

Peter instantly regrets the words that come out of his mouth, as he looks at Bucky’s face.

“Fuck!” Peter yells slamming his hand down on the bed, releasing some of the tension in his body. He closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath, “I’m fine, Bucky. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not, Peter. That’s my point. You’re not fine. Do you remember what I told you when we first met?”

Peter tries to think back to the moment that he had first met Bucky, but he’s still trying to process the memories from the past few days. He shakes his head.

“I told you that it’s okay not to be okay. Peter, it’s okay if you need to talk about what happened. In fact, I would highly encourage it. If not to me then to someone.”

“I just…..how do you deal with it? The guilt? The memories? All of it?”

Bucky leans back in his chair, forming his next thoughts before he speaks.

“To be honest with you, it never really leaves you. It just gets easier to manage. You surround yourself with people that support you, and you form new memories to push aside the bad ones. You’ll have good days, and bad days, and as time goes by you’ll have fewer and fewer of those bad days.”

“But how do I deal with it now?” Peter asks, feeling himself starting to break apart all over again.

“You have a good cry about it when you can, and try forming better memories when you can’t. Peter, can I ask you a question?”

Peter nods, bracing himself for whatever Bucky has to say.

“What was the trigger that brought back your memories?”

Peter thinks back to the alley, and he feels like he’s going to be sick. He rushes over to the trash can and starts to dry heave. Bucky is at his side in an instant, rubbing his back, and trying to soothe him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was a touchy subject,” Bucky says, clearly angry with himself for upsetting Peter, “My trigger was something Steve said. Something that brings me happiness. I’m sorry, Peter.”

Peter leans up against the wall, letting his head fall back as he closes his eyes, and takes a moment to steady himself.

It all came back to that moment. The bullet ripping through his flesh. He didn’t even understand why it affected him so much. He had suffered way worse at the hands of Bram. But the thought of a gunshot made him physically ill. 

“It was the sound of the gun being fired,” Peter says, wiping his sweaty face, “that’s what brought my memories back.”

Bucky is silent for a minute.

“Do you want to get some food?”

Peter glances at Bucky, confused.

“What?”

“Do you want to get some food? I brought you some soup earlier, but it’s very cold at this point. I think Tony keeps a box of Froot Loops in the garage. He hides them from Bruce, because he would confiscate them in a heartbeat. Health reasons. I think I know where they are, though. Do you want some?”

Peter hadn’t realized how hungry he really was until that moment. He hadn’t eaten since the pancakes this morning.

He nods, getting up.

“Great! Now we just have to convince Friday to let us into the garage!"

 

“You just blackmailed an AI,” Peter says with his mouth hanging open in amazement.

“Honestly, I really just blackmailed Tony. He set up Friday with risk evaluation. Friday reasoned that Tony would probably be more willing for us to enter his workspace than me telling the entire team that he read the first Twilight book, and possibly kind of enjoyed it. The best part is that Tony doesn’t know that I blackmailed him. At least not yet. Friday will inform him the next time they interact.”

They enter the dark workshop, and Bucky puts a finger to his lips.

They hear a clinking noise coming from somewhere near the ceiling.

Peter tenses, already in fight or flight mode.

But then Bucky chuckles.

“Friday, can you turn on the lights, please.”

“Turning on the lights, Mr. Barnes,” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice says.

And the sight is too funny.

Peter bursts out laughing for the first time in a month.

Clint is sitting on one of the industrials beams, a bowl in one hand, a spoon in the other, and a gigantic mouthful of cereal. A tiny trickle of milk is making its way out of his mouth, as he stares at them with his wide eyes, clearly surprised to be caught in the act of stealing Tony’s Froot Loops.

“Wha’ arr u foin’ ‘ere?” Clint asks, pointing his spoon at them pretending like he is the one who caught them breaking the rules, instead of the other way around.

“We came to steal the Froot Loops, but it looks like you beat us to it! Also, how in the world did you get up there without spilling that?” Bucky says, grinning up at him.

Clint relaxes, realizing that they aren’t going to tattle on him, and laughs.

“Trade secret! I’ve been coming here for months! Tony doesn’t have a clue. I sneak in through the air ducts,” Clint has a huge proud smile on his face, “Come join me, gentlemen, and enjoy some Froot Loops!”

Clint pours both of them large bowls of cereal, and they all sit around one of Tony’s workbenches. They spend the rest of the evening listening to Clint tell stories about his three kids Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. He gets especially animated when describing Nathan’s first steps.

Peter smiles to himself, as he starts in on the second bowl of cereal. He knows that his problems aren’t gone, and that they will come back full force as soon as he’s alone with his mind again, but right now he’s starting to feel okay again. He’s starting to have hope that everything might end up alright after all.

It was the best night that Peter could remember, and he wouldn’t have traded it for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY PETER!!!!!
> 
> (side note that is completely unrelated to Marvel/this fic, but is anyone here in the Dink Fam?? Just curious to see if I have any Dink siblings here :) <3)


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexy time??? :O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Depictions of violence and Panic attacks
> 
> I have VERY mixed feelings about this chapter. I don't know what this chapter is. I kind of hate it, but I kind of love it.
> 
> Also, I suck at flirting, and I think it shows, hahaha.
> 
> Anyway, here's this chapter.......

Air.

Peter needs air.

He can’t breathe. 

He desperately tries to break the surface of the water, but strong hands hold him in place.

His lungs ache.

His spider senses scream.

Why won’t they let him up?

They’re going to kill him.

He just needs some air.

 

“Mr. Barnes, are you awake?..........Mr. Barnes, are you awake?..........Mr. Barnes, are you--”

“What do you want, Friday?” Bucky mumbles into his pillow. He feels Steve roll over to face him.

“Mr. Barnes, Peter is having a nightmare. His heart rate is extremely elevated, and he is starting to hyperventilate. Given your success rate with helping Peter through panic attacks, I would recommend a visit to the Med-Bay.”

Bucky is already getting out of bed, and putting on pants before F.R.I.D.A.Y. can finish speaking. Steve isn’t far behind.

 

Peter bangs on the glass.

They have to let him out. They have to let him out.

And they do.

He’s lifted out of the water.

And there’s Bram leering down at him.

He grabs Peters’ chin, and forces it upward to look at him.

“Come on, Spidey Boy! I need you to dance for me. This won’t stop until you do. Just submit already,” Bram pushes him back hard, causing him to hit his head on the metal grating.

“Just submit,” The corner of Bram’s mouth twitches into a smile, and the guard forces him back down into the icy darkness of the tank.

 

Peter springs forward in bed, gulping in oxygen. He needs air. He needs so much air.

“Hey, Peter,” he feels hands on him. He wants to tell them to get off of him. He needs air.

“Peter, you’re hyperventilating. Try taking some deep, slow breaths for me.”

Peter keeps his eyes shut. More oxygen. He needs more oxygen. He can’t breath. He needs more.

He feels hands on his face. He’s about to jerk away, but something is off. One of the hands is metal. He opens his eyes. 

Bucky.

And behind Bucky, Steve, who is looking extremely concerned.

“Deep, slow breaths,” Bucky repeats.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Bucky sits on the bed next to Peter, embracing him. Peter follows the rise and fall of his chest.

“You’re okay, Peter. You’re home. You’re safe. It was just a nightmare.”

Peter buries his face in Bucky’s shirt, silent tears running down his face.

“He felt so real. It all felt so real,” Peter whispers.

Peter feels Bucky squeeze him a little tighter. 

“He’s gone now, Peter. He can’t hurt you anymore. Do you want to talk about it?”

Peter shakes his head.

It’s silent for a minute.

He feels Steve sit down at the foot of the bed, and then he hears a faint click. 

Then a laugh track.

“‘It’s going to be legend-- Wait for it, and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is dary.’

‘No.’

‘Legendary!’”

Peter can’t help but smile, just a little bit. He loves How I Met Your Mother.

Besides a few soft chuckles from Steve, they all sit there in comfortable silence, as they watch. Occasionally Peter will hear Steve murmur the punchline of one of the jokes, indicating that this is far from the first time Steve has watched the show.

Peter rests his head on Bucky’s chest, his head just high enough to see over Steve. They are barely into the second episode, when Peter’s eyelids become heavy once more. He’s out before the episode ends.

 

Steve props his head up on Bucky’s calves. He laughs at something Barney says. God, he loves Neil Patrick Harris. The man is just so attractive. Not that he would ever tell Bucky, though he’s pretty sure Bucky knows how much of a crush he has.

Steve looks over at Bucky and Peter. Peter has been asleep for quite some time now, but Bucky was still awake. He is looking at Peter, a troubled expression on his face.

Steve puts a hand on Bucky’s leg, causing Bucky to look at him.

“What’s the matter?” He asks gently.

“Someone should have stayed in here to watch him. The nightmare would never have progressed so far.”

“You couldn’t have known. Plus, Friday let us know as soon as she had the slightest indication that something was wrong. Even if we were here, we probably wouldn’t have noticed that anything was off.”

“Steve, I don’t even know what he went through. He would never talk about it. He would never talk, period. I have no idea what that Bastard did to him.”

“He’ll tell you when he’s ready. Trust me. I know from experience,” Steve says knowingly, “How are you holding up?”

“What?” Bucky looks at him like it’s a unexpected question to ask him.

“Peter’s not the only one who went through a trauma recently. How are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Bucky says.

Steve raises his eyebrows in skepticism.

“I’m fine, seriously!” Bucky protests, “Worrying over Peter keeps me from worrying over myself. And what about you? I shot you! Are you okay?” Bucky asks deflecting the attention off of himself.

“What? This?” Steve pats his knee, “Bruce says I can start walking without the cane tomorrow. I’m practically all better. Meanwhile, you’re still stuck in a wheelchair.”

“Just for a few more days.”

Steve smiles. He crawls a little bit further up the bed, and lays down on Bucky’s free side.

“You know, I don’t think this bed was designed for three people,” Bucky says.

“Are you saying you don’t want me in your bed?” Steve grins suggestively, feigning disappointment.

Bucky rolls his eyes.

“Of course I want you!” Bucky says giving Steve a quick peck, then in a deep whisper “Like I really want you…”

“Oh my god, Buck! Keep it in your pants!” Steve slaps him playfully on the arm, “We practically have a child with us!”

Bucky laughs.

“Ahh, Rogers, after all these years, it’s still so easy to press your buttons…...but like, I wasn’t joking, like I really, really want you!” Bucky says while raising his eyebrows in a flirtatious manner.

“Oh, my god! Stop!” Steve laughs, “I’m going to go sleep in our room, and you are going to stay here, and watch over Peter! No sexy time for you tonight!” Steve grins, as he gets off the bed.

“Tomorrow??” Bucky gives him puppy dog eyes trying very hard not to burst out laughing.

Steve leans down to give him a goodnight kiss.

“Maybe.”

“I can live with a maybe,” Bucky says, grinning lovingly up at him.

Steve heads off to their bedroom, smiling at the thought of things finally going back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what to say. Like what the hell is this chapter. I don't know. :)
> 
> Hope you at least semi-enjoyed my HIMYM reference and my attempts at flirting, hahaha.


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WAIT. WHOSE GOING TO BE BABYSITTING PETER????? :O

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!!
> 
> Some of you have been commenting ideas/requests for this fic in the comments, which I love because writers block is a struggle! I decided that it could be nice to start a discord where it would be easier to have an actual conversation. If you would like to join it, here is the link: https://discord.gg/GcXnGwJ
> 
> I'd love to see some of you there!! I love making internet friends, and I would also love to hear your input for this story, because I'm starting to struggle with it a bit. (I'm better at writing hurt than comfort, obviously lol) Also, if you are willing to beta read for me, please come join! I would appreciate the help. Multiple betas would be good, I think, since I upload daily. :)
> 
> Anyway, please feel free to come and say hi!! Also, you'll finally learn my real name, lol. #namereveal
> 
> (Also, if you're unfamiliar with discord, you should check it out! It's free!!)
> 
> Love you all <3

Bruce was starting to feel more like the Avenger’s personal chef than a member of the team. He didn’t care, though. Anyway that he could help out where the other guy wasn’t involved was fine by him. 

He knocks softly on the Med-Bay doors. When he doesn’t hear anything, he pokes his head in, careful not to spill the oatmeal he is carrying. He smiles.

Peter and Bucky are sound asleep. Peter is using Bucky’s chest as a pillow, and is drooling all over Bucky’s shirt. Bucky has been forced to the very edge of the bed, his arm dangling off the side.

Bruce sets the bowl on the table, and moves over to the window, throwing open the curtains.

Bucky groans.

“Rise and shine! It’s breakfast time,” Bruce says cheerfully.

“Bruce, what time is it?” Bucky complains.

“7:30.”

“What? Why are you waking us up so early?”

“Well, I actually didn’t know you were in here. I came to wake up Peter. Also, 7:30 isn’t early! I was up at five!” Bruce huffs.

“I’ll never understand you and Steve’s addiction to getting up before the sun has even risen,” Bucky says while he tries to push himself into a sitting position without waking Peter, who is somehow still dead to the world.

“I brought this for Peter,” Bruce gestures towards the oatmeal, “but it doesn’t appear that he’ll be waking up anytime soon, so I guess you can have it. There’s more in the kitchen if he’s hungry when he wakes up.”

“Thanks, Bruce,” Bucky reaches for the bowl.

“Well, I’ve got to go. I have a conference call with some astrophysicists at Caltech. They’re studying the properties of Quasars, and more specifically the gamma radiation produced by them. They’ve asked me to consult.”

“To be honest Bruce, I only understood half the words that just came out of your mouth. Is Tony up yet?” Bucky grins, putting a large spoonful of oatmeal in his mouth, “This is really good, by the way.”

“Thanks, and no, Tony isn’t up yet. I wish he was, though. He loves talking astrophysics with me. Well, I’ve really got to go. Don’t let Peter lay around in bed all day. He should try to get back to his normal routine. Okay?”

“Got it covered,” Bucky says.

Bruce gives Bucky a thumbs up, and then races to his lab to grab his notes for the conference call.

 

Bucky turns on the news, and mutes the TV, not wanting to wake Peter up just yet. He eats Bruce’s oatmeal as he watches the continuing coverage of an “explosion at a mysterious compound in rural New York.” Thankfully the public was blissfully unaware of what took place there. It’s bad press for the Avengers to be shown in a vulnerable position.

As he feels Peter start to shift next to him, Bucky switches the channel to HGTV.

Peter sits up rubbing his eye.

“What are you watching?”

“Property Brothers,” Bucky says. Peter gives him a look, “What? I like home renovations. Don’t judge me,” Bucky gives Peter a fake offended look.

“Is there anything to eat?” Peter asks.

“Well, I ate the oatmeal Bruce brought for you, but there is more in the kitchen. Shall we go investigate?”

“Yes, please,” Peter says, hopping out of bed. Bucky lowers himself slowly into his wheelchair, and follows Peter out of the room.

Peter looks over at Bucky.

“How did it happen?” He asks, clearly referring to Bucky’s injuries.

“Well, the ribs, they broke while I was battling a lion. You should have seen him. He was a ferocious thing. It’s a pity that he didn’t survive,” Bucky says like it’s a fond memory. Like it’s something that he’s proud of.

“And the leg?”

Bucky pauses, briefly reliving his battle with the Hydra guards.

“A son of a bitch with a pistol,” he says matter of factly. 

Bucky can tell that Peter is troubled by this, so Bucky puts on a big grin.

“Hey, don’t worry about me! Bruce says I’ll be out of this chair in no time! Now come on, let’s go see who else is in the kitchen.”

 

Turns out, everyone was in the kitchen. Bruce was arguing on the phone in the corner. Clint was flipping through a magazine on the couch, clearly just trying to eavesdrop on Natasha who was on the phone arguing with Nick Fury. Tony was sitting at the counter shovelling oatmeal into his mouth as he read something on his tablet. Sam was doing dishes, while yelling at everyone for not doing their dishes, and Steve was sitting there casually sketching out the entire ridiculous scene in his sketchbook.

Bucky rolls over to Steve.

“Morning, love.”

“Morning,” Steve says back giving him a quick hello kiss, “Sleep well?”

“I think I’ll probably sleep better tonight,” Bucky says, not forgetting last night. Steve rolls his eyes, and refrains from commenting.

“Ready for something to eat, Peter?” Steve asks, looking over at him.

Peter looks shy, like he’s intruding on someone else’s family.

“Ummm, yeah.” He says diverting his glance.

“Let’s hope that Tony hasn’t eaten everything,” Steve says, getting up and walking over to the stove.

“Hey! I had my fair share! If anyone took too much it was Legolas,” Tony protests, clearly overhearing their conversation.

Peter joins Tony at the counter. Soon after, Natasha joins them, throwing her phone down onto the counter.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tony asks.

“She’s upset because Fury has a job for us, and she doesn’t think we should go,” Clint says from the couch, not taking his eyes off the magazine. Natasha glares at him, annoyed.

“There’s a potential illegal arms deal happening today, and Fury thinks that the Avengers should take point. Which is ridiculous. The SHIELD agents are more than capable of handling it.”

“You are a SHIELD agent,” Sam says, putting some plates away.

“The OTHER SHIELD agents can handle it,” she clarifies, “Plus, Fury wants Steve back in the field already.”

“What?!” Bucky yells, “He literally just stopped using his cane. This morning. Fury can’t send him into the field!”

“Oh, I’m not done yet. He also wants you in a SHIELD vehicle on location so that you can offer strategic support via our comms.”

“He can’t come into the field either! He can barely stand up!” Steve argues, abandoning his drawing in favor of engaging in the conversation.

“I tried telling Fury all of this, but he wouldn't listen. He says that we haven’t been on an official job in a little over a month, and that we need to take something so that the higher ups will stop asking him where all of their funds are going.”

“He was really pissed,” Clint adds, “Not at us, but at the higher ups. Fury agrees that Barnes and Rogers should not be going into the field. He especially doesn’t want to…”

“Doesn’t want to, what?” Tony asks.

“He doesn’t want to leave Peter with only one of us. In case he slips back into the Winter Soldier state like Bucky did that one time,” Natasha says gently.

Peter goes red.

“Bullshit!” Bucky yells, “that was one time, a long time ago. I was put into a high stress environment, and it was only for about two minutes. I didn’t hurt anyone!”

“It took four of us to subdue you, Bucky. You easily could have hurt anyone of us,” Sam says quietly.

Bruce walks over, finished with his call.

“What’s all this yelling about?”

“Fury’s got a job for us, and is putting everyone in the field,” Natasha says.

“Everyone?” Bruce asks, “Like the other guy everyone?”

Natasha’s lips go thin.

“Everyone.”

“Hold up,” Tony says, “You just said Peter was going to be left with one of us. If it’s not Bruce, who is it?”

“Well, legally speaking she is one of us, since she lives in the tower.”

“You don’t mean--”

“Oh I do. Fury sent an emergency flight to go pick her up from her business trip. She just landed.”

“Oh god,” Tony says under his breath.

“Pepper should be here in twenty minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PEPPER?!?!? :O


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY IS THAT YOU?!?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you guys so much!!! <3
> 
>  
> 
> Still looking for beta readers, if you're interested!! Either email me (link in bio), or join my discord!! :)
> 
> If you want to be internet friends with me/ give me suggestions for this story/have writing parties/ hang out with other people, join my discord using this link: https://discord.gg/NhNhsHV  
> (Must have a discord account to join)

Pepper walks across the tarmac, her heels clicking on the ground, and the sound of her suitcase reverberating as it rolls behind her. She approaches the dark SUV. Someone gets out of the front.

“Happy!” She says, greeting her friend with a hug, “How are you? It’s been so long!”

Happy takes her suitcase, and moves towards the back of the vehicle.

“Oh, it’s been great! Well, at least I’ve been great. Have you...erm….have you spoken to Tony recently?”

Pepper frowns slightly. She was still mad at him. It’s why she had gone away for business in the first place. She had needed a break. Time to clear her head.

“No, why? Did something happen?”

They enter the car, and Happy begins to drive.

“Well, I’m not exactly sure, to be honest. Tony won’t let me near the top twenty floors of the tower. I told him ‘How am I supposed to be head of security, if you won’t let me secure the entire building?’ He brushed me off, and said there was nothing to worry about, and that I should just focus on the rest of the tower. Something’s up though, Pepper. Whenever I see one of the Avengers, it looks like they got hit by a car. Something bad happened while you were away.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?”

“You told me not to! You said that no one from the New York offices should call you. Especially Tony.”

“Yeah, but I was referring to everyday business type stuff. I obviously would have liked a call if it was something serious.”

“No one even knows if you and Tony are still together. Not that it’s my place to ask, and I won’t, but we don’t even know what’s happening with you guys.”

Pepper looks at Happy, intrigued.

“He hasn’t said anything?”

“Won’t say a word. Anytime someone tries to bring it up, he immediately changes the subject.”

“Hmmm,” Pepper hums, not really sure how she feels about that. Did Tony just not care, or did he care too much? It was always so difficult to tell. It’s one of the reasons that he got in trouble in the first place, “Happy, I’m going to need you to tell me anything you can that’s been happening for the past three months.”

“Where do I even begin?”

 

“Damn it, Fury!” Tony yells.

“When’s the last time you talked to her?” Sam asks abandoning the remaining dishes.

“When she left for Hong Kong.”

“Seriously?!” Natasha says, smacking Tony across the back of the head.

“Hey!” Tony yells again.

“She’s been worried sick about you! No wonder she always sounded so upset when I talked to her. You need to apologize to her the minute she walks through that door!” Natasha reprimands.

“Who’s Pepper?” Peter asks. Everyone had forgotten that Peter was even there, he had been so quiet.

“Pepper is Tony’s girlfriend. She is still your girlfriend, isn’t she?” Bucky asks.

“I don’t fucking know,” Tony says running his hand through his hair, “I’m going to go make myself a drink before she gets here.”

“It’s nine in the morning!” Steve yells after him.

“I know! What was I thinking? I should have started drinking three hours ago. It’s going to be a long day,” He grumbles.

 

Pepper ditched her heels with Happy. Her feet were killing her.

“You have my permission to enter any of the top twenty floors, Happy. Whatever I can see, you can see, and if Tony has a problem with that then he’ll have to talk to me about it.”

“Thanks, Pepper. I’ll see you around,” he says as the elevator doors start to close.

Pepper taps her foot impatiently as she watches the numbers slowly rise on the screen above the door. When she feels the elevator start to slow, she makes sure her hair isn’t messed up, and that her blouse is straight.

She walks into the common area. Bruce and Nat have their backs turned to her, and are talking in muffled voices.

“Bruce! Nat!” She says in a cheery voice. They turn and smile at her. Pepper gives Bruce a quick hug, and then she turns to Natasha.

“God, I’ve missed you!” She tells Natasha, “I wished you would have come to Hong Kong with me! I had an amazing time.”

Natasha grins, happy to see Pepper.

“Eh, it’s a little too close to Russia for me. I’m glad you had a good time, though.”

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a young man appears at Bruce’s side. He looks a little bit underweight, and he has huge bags under his eyes. 

“Hey, Bruce. Bucky was wondering if you could go help him pack the medical supplies into the van. He’s not exactly sure what you guys should be taking,” the young man says, not really making eye contact with Pepper.

“Is he the reason why Happy isn’t allowed up here?” Pepper asks, “I need some answers because poor Happy is worried about all of you, and no one will tell him what’s going on.”

The boy looks at the ground guiltily. Natasha puts a hand on her arm.

“Maybe we should go talk somewhere else,” Natasha says, glancing over at the kid, “Peter, why don’t you go help Bruce and Bucky.”

“Yeah, come on Peter. I’ll teach you everything you could ever want to know about trauma medical supplies,” Bruce says, leading Peter away.

When Bruce and Peter had left, Pepper looks over to Natasha waiting for answers.

“So? Nat? What the hell is going on? I haven’t heard from Tony for three months, and then I come home to find Happy… well unhappy!”

“It’s a long story,” Nat begins, “but basically that kid was Peter, also known as Spider-Man. A little over a month ago, him, Bucky, and Steve were ambushed by a Hydra operative. Steve was shot, and Bucky and Peter were taken captive. While being held, Peter was brainwashed into becoming the next Winter Soldier. Thankfully, he was able to snap out of it, but they’ve only just come home recently. Bucky is mostly fine. He has a few injuries, but he’ll be okay. It’s Peter everyone is worried about. The kids not really the same. He’s very skittish, and is probably suffering from PTSD.”

Pepper has a hand to her mouth, and tears rim her eyes.

“Oh my god. Why didn’t you call me to come home? I could’ve helped!”

“I knew things between you and Tony aren’t great. I didn’t want to add to your troubles. You deserved a break. You’ve done so much to help this team.”

“Well what do you need me to do? I don’t even know why I’m here. Fury just told me to come back. He said the team needed me.”

“Fury’s putting everyone in the field. Someone needs to stay here with Peter. He’s--”

“Pepper!!” Tony yells startling the women. He stumbles slightly as he walks across the room, a glass in one hand. “How are you?”

“Are you drunk?” Pepper asks, already feeling the annoyance at Tony come creeping back.

“Tipsy, not drunk.” Tony clarifies.

“Give me that,” Pepper says, getting up and seizing the glass from Tony. She goes over to the sink, and pours it down the drain.

“Hey, hey, hey!! That was perfectly good bourbon!! Why’d you do that!?” Tony whines.

Pepper walks right up to him, so that they are standing face to face.

“Because it’s nine in the morning, Tony, and Natasha has just informed me that you’ll be in the field today. Do you not even remember why I left in the first place?!” She says, feeling herself getting more and more emotional.

“I might need some help remembering,” Tony says quietly. She loses it.

“God, Tony! You’re such an ass!” She yells, pushing him away. She’s about to storm out, when she changes her mind and gets up in his face once more, “You could’ve died Tony! You were reckless, and you could’ve died. You have no regard for your own life, and I can’t take it anymore! I’m not going to wait around for you to show up in a body bag. Either start acting more responsibly, or I’m out Tony. I just… I just can’t do this anymore.”

She rushes over to Natasha, grabs her hand, and starts pulling her out of the room as she storms away.

“Pepper! Pepper, come on.” She hears behind her, but she doesn’t look back. She can’t talk to Tony right now. Seeing Tony made the memories too fresh again. Tears threaten to fall from her eyes, but she manages to blink them away.

She turns to Natasha.

“So what is it that Fury wants me to do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH so much drama, lol


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very mixed bag of emotions.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 4 Things:  
> 1\. You all are amazing<3  
> 2\. Let me know in the comments how you guys feel about Pepper. Should she stick around? Should she just make a brief apperance? Lmk!  
> 3\. I'm nearing the end of this fic. I've played with the idea of writing a Prequel (and maybe a sequel). I was thinking of writing about Bram's childhood. Bucky and Natasha would make apperances in the story, but it would mainly be about Bram. Would that be something you guys are interested in? Let me know in the comments!!  
> 4\. We've got a nice little community over in my discord. Come join us by making an account, and using this link: https://discord.gg/V7BJJxJ
> 
> Thanks again for all your support!! I love you guys <3 <3 <3

“I don’t like it,” Sam says, crossing his arms.

“It doesn’t matter if you like it. Fury has the final say. There’s nothing we can do about it,” Clint says, loading his arrow tips into his quiver.

“We could just not go. What’s Fury going to do, send us to prison?”

“Do you have amnesia or something?” Clint asks, “Do you not remember the raft prison?”

“That wasn’t Fury. Not really,” Sam says, “Look, all I’m saying is Peter can’t be left here with just Pepper. If Peter starts to revert back--”

“Pepper can handle herself,” Natasha says as she enters the room heading straight for the weapons locker.

“But Peter--”

“Is more in control than you think he is,” Natasha cuts Sam off, “Now, can we please focus on the mission at hand? Where’s the rest of the team?”

“Tony’s sobering up, the supersoldier boys are already in the quinjet, and Bruce is double checking with the NYPD that code green protocols are going to be enforced,” Clint informs her.

“Great. Wheels up in five. We need to get a feel for the area, before the deal goes down.”

 

Peter flips through a book Clint had given him. It was a retelling of Robin Hood, called The Tales of Sherwood. He really wasn’t in the mood to read, though. He wasn’t really in the mood to do anything. There’s a knock at the door.

“Peter? May I come in?” It was that woman, Pepper.

“Yeah,” Peter says, tossing the book on the table.

“Hey, Peter. My name is Pepper,” she holds out her hand for Peter to shake. He looks at it skeptically, and when he doesn’t take it, she lowers her arm as casually as she can. “I’m the CEO of Stark Industries. The team has asked me to keep you company today.”

“Because they’re scared that I’m going to go on another murder spree, right?” 

Peter looks down, ashamed. No one would be able to trust him again. Everyone would view him as a threat, because of what Bram did. Peter feels his throat begin to close up. Pepper comes over, and sits in the chair next to his.

“No,” she says, “They asked me to come stay with you because you’ve been through a trauma, and you deserve to have some fun. Now, why don’t you come with me. I have a surprise for you.” 

She reaches out her hand.

Peter feels a weird sense of friendliness radiating from her.

This time he takes it, letting her lead the way.

 

Pepper takes Peter to Tony’s workshop.

“Why don’t you sit there,” she says, indicating to a stool next to a large steel table.

She goes over to a cabinet that’s against the wall and starts to rummage through it.

“I know it’s in here somewhere….” Peter hears her mumble under her breath, “ahh, here it is.”

She pulls out a large box from the cabinet, and places it on the table. Peter looks at the box, dumbstruck. 

“No, is that a…?”

Pepper looks at the box, reading it.

“Is it a Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon? Yes, yes it is. I was going to give it to my friend’s kid, for his birthday, but then I ended up going to China for business. From what I’ve heard about you, I thought you might enjoy it. Here, help me unpack it.”

Peter eagerly grabs the box, and starts pulling out the pieces, making sure to keep everything organized so that the building process would be easier. Pepper mainly watches, but she helps out where she can. 

Peter tells her where to put certain pieces, and she laughs when she gets it entirely wrong. They spend the next few hours talking. Pepper asks him to explain Star Wars, claiming to have never seen them before. Peter happily obliges, rambling on about Han Solo, Chewy, and the rest of the gang.

Peter is just explaining the finer points of Rey’s character, when Pepper’s phone starts to buzz.

“Hold that thought, Peter,” she says getting up from the table. Peter continues to build the cockpit, as he strains to listen to Pepper’s hushed voice.

“What? What do you mean?........No……..I’ll have to talk to Tony about that…..yes, I’m the CEO...Just a second. Friday, turn on the news.” Friday walks over to one of the monitors, “Yes, it’s on… hold on…. Yes, I see it now.”

Peter hears a newscaster talking in a fast, anxious voice.

“And now, video surveillance from the scene of the crime. If there are any impressionable viewers watching, I’d advise you look away now.”

It’s quiet for a few seconds. 

And then it’s not.

The sound of gunfire fills the workshop.

Peter tenses. His throat goes tight. He closes his eyes.

“Please, turn it off,” he says, in barely more than a whisper.

His head is swimming. He feels like he’s going to pass out. The sound of gunfire continues to bounce off the walls.

“Hold on a sec….What did you say, Peter?”

Peter wants to open his mouth, and tell her to turn it off, but he feels like he’s going to vomit, so he just sits there, and listens. He puts his arms on the table trying to steady himself, but in the process he accidently knocks the millenium falcon, destroying the right side. He hears Pepper running over.

“Peter? Peter what’s wrong? John, I’m going to have to call you back. Peter?”

Finally, the clip ends, but the sound won’t leave Peter’s head. It’s stuck there on a loop. But then it isn’t even the news clip anymore. It morphs into Bucky shooting Steve as he’s forced to watch. He sees Steve lying there, struggling to stay conscious. Only it isn’t Steve, it’s him. In the alley. And there’s a hooded man standing over him. And he’s singing. The man holds a finger to his lips, and puts the other hand around Peter’s throat. 

He squeezes. 

 

Bucky sits in the back of the van, folding a paper airplane.

“Remind me why I’m here again,” he asks one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who is observing the security footage in front of him.

“Hell if I know. I’m just following boss’s orders.”

Bucky folds, and refolds the plane, bored out of his mind. It was pointless for him to be here. It was pointless for any of them to be here. 

He stares at the monitors, but they all show the same empty street corner from different angles. He briefly catches a glimpse of Natasha walking down the street. She’s in civilian clothing, as to not raise suspicion.

Bucky starts drumming his fingers, against the desk.

“Will you please stop?” The other agent says. Bucky lets out a sigh, but stops. He stares at the agents, and starts to imagine their life stories, just to pass the time. He’s mapping out the first agent’s future when he feels his phone buzz.

“Finally!” he says, thankful to be relieved of this tedium. 

His happiness only lasts a split second.

Pepper’s voice comes through, stressed, panicked, and crying.

“I don’t know what happened. He was fine one minute, and I only turned my back for a second, but now he won’t wake up, and I don’t know what to do--”

Bucky stands up, and moves to the other corner of the van.

“Woah, Pepper slow down. What happened?”

“Peter and I were building legos, and I got a call from a client. I turned around to go deal with the call. I heard Peter mumble something, but I couldn’t quite make it out, but I knew something was off. When I went back over to him, his face was really pale, and he was breathing really fast, and then he just passed out,” she cries.

“Pepper, what did the client want? What exactly happened when you took the call?” Bucky asks, feeling himself start to panic. He felt helpless sitting in the van, so far away from Peter. Breathe, he tells himself. Breathe.

“He wanted a statement on a shootout that happened on Stark property an hour ago at one of our storage facilities, so I turned on the news to figure out what he was talking about.”

Fuck.

He should never have left.

He should have stayed there with Peter.

He’s the only one who truly understands what he’s going through.

Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.

He can’t breathe.

“Bucky?” Pepper voice says through the phone.

He throws open the van doors, and sinks onto the pavement below, throwing his head between his knees.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?! Get back in the van, you’ll blow this entire mission!”

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

“I need Steve,” he says to no one in particular.

Pepper’s voice mixes with the agent’s and he can’t distinguish what they’re saying.

“I need Steve.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOOO MY BABIES!!!
> 
> (also, check the notes at the beginning! I would really appreciate your feedback!! <3)


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ooofff, this one hurt to write. I don't know why. I feel like there are sadder chapters than this, but dang this hurt my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometime in the next couple days I will be uploading a *Bonus* chapter that was basically written by all the lovely people in the Discord. If you would like to join in on the shenanigans, you can use this link: https://discord.gg/jtJpYnq
> 
> As always, I love each and every one of you very much <3
> 
> All the love, and internet hugs!!! <3

Ryan Collins stands there dumbfounded as his partner, Jack, yells at the super soldier who was now sitting outside on the road. In all his years as an agent, he had never been put in this situation. He had been in firefights, dealt with hostage negotiations, and been in multiple active war zones. He had always known exactly what to do. But what the hell do you do if a supersoldier starts having a panic attack, and is compromising the entire mission?

“I need Steve,” the Winter Soldier wheezes.

“Who the hell is Steve?” Jack asks.

“It’s Captain America! We’ve got to pull him out of the field!” Ryan says, running over to the headset. Jack pulls it off his head, before he can say a word.

“Uh, uh. We’ve been waiting to grab these guys for almost two years. I will not let you pull Captain America out of the field! Everything is going to go by the book . Who knows when we’ll get another chance to get these guys, Ryan! Now, help me get this guy back in the van!”

Jack goes in to grab the super soldier, but Ryan catches his arm.

“Let go of me, Ryan,” Jack says in a low menacing voice.

“We need Captain America, Jack. If you try to move this guy, he might take your head off. He’s unstable. Telling one Avenger to fall back won’t mess up the mission. Just let me make the call. If the mission goes south, I’ll take the fall.”

Jack considers for a moment, staring at the man on the ground, then turns and slams the headset against Ryan’s chest.

“This is all on you, Ryan. I’m not going down for this.” 

“You won’t have to. Neither of us will.”

Ryan runs back to the monitor, and sits down.

“This is Agent Collins,” Ryan says into the headset, “Cap, are you there?”

“Copy,” says a staticky voice.

“We’re going to need you to fall back to van Zulu-Foxtrot-23-Charlie-Tango-9. We have a bit of a situation here.”

“Copy. Headed to your location.”

“You better be right about this Ryan,” Jack says.

“I am. I know I am.”

 

Steve, walks as quickly as he can towards the location of the van without drawing attention to himself. Halfway there he accidentally bumps into a lady, which causes her to drop the books she had been carrying.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am, that was my fault,” he says, silently cursing himself for wasting what might be precious time.

“Oh, that’s no problem! They’re just--- Hey, you’re--”

“No. No I’m not!” he flashes her a warning look, “You must have mistaken me for someone else. You have a nice day, now!”

She looks confused, but doesn’t say anything thing else.

Steve picks up his pace, making up for lost time. When he finally rounds the back of the van, he confirms what he had already suspected.

“Shit!”

He looks closer at Bucky, and sees that his leg is bleeding. He rounds on the agents.

“Who let him get up? Do you think he’s in a wheelchair for the fun of it?! Damn it!”

“No one let him get up! We couldn’t stop him, even if we wanted to! I mean look at him!”

Steve glares at the angry agent. The other agent seems worried. Steve figures the latter is the one who called him. Ignoring both of them, Steve kneels beside Bucky.

He can already tell this is one of the worst attacks Bucky has had in a really long time.

“Hey, Buck,” he says gently, running a hand up and down Bucky’s back, “I’m here. Everything is going to be okay. Just try to remember what we’ve worked on. Try to ground yourself. What do you feel? What do you hear? What do you smell?”

Steve turns to the agent with the headset.

“Do you know what set him off?”

The agent shrugs.

“He got a phone call. Before he jumped out of the van, he was talking to the person. He seemed really upset by whatever they were saying.”

Steve searches for the phone, and finds it a few feet away. Whoever was on the phone, had hung up. He tosses it to the agent.

“Figure out who was on the other end of that call, and call them back!”

Bucky’s breathing was getting more steady, but his eyes still looked unfocused. Steve had another problem to deal with, though. Bucky’s leg was gushing blood from where he had torn his stitches. 

“What the hell were you guys doing?” Steve says under his breath, moving to Bucky’s other side to put pressure on the wound. Steve looks at the wound, worridley. Bucky’s losing blood faster than Steve initially thought.

He looks at the the other sulking agent.

“Has code green happened yet?” Steve asks.

The agent checks the monitors.

“No.”

“Tell Banner to fall back.”

“No, I’m not letting anyone else fall back. I will not compromise this operation!” the agent says getting defensive.

Steve looks at him in disbelief.

“My boyfriend is bleeding out on the road. You’re going to call Dr. Banner, and you are going to do it now.”

“No. I won’t do it,” the agent says, holding his ground, “I’m not going to take orders from someone who dresses up in a colorful suit and throws around a metal frisbee. I will not sacrifice this mission.”

Steve glares at him, seething.

“Get out,” he says in a menacing voice, “If you aren’t going to help, then just get the fuck out.”

“Fuck you, man,” the agent says, realizing that he won’t win a fight against the super soldier, “I don’t need this shit anyway,” The agent gets up and exits the van, and starts walking down the street.

Steve turns back to the other agent.

“What’s your name?”

“Ryan,” the man says, looking up from the phone.

“Okay, Ryan. I know I asked you to figure out that call, but that’s going to have to wait. Is there a medical kit on board?”

“Yeah,” he says, digging it out of it’s compartment. He hops out of the vehicle, and goes to Steve’s side.

“Is there a tourniquet in there?”

Ryan digs through the supplies.

“No, just some bandages, cleansing wipes, painkillers, gloves, water, and some safety pins.”

“Okay, okay. Ryan, I need you to take one of the bandages, and tie it as tight as you can above the wound. We need to stop some of this bleeding. Then I need you to get me some of that gauze, okay?”

Ryan moves quickly, and efficiently. Steve looks at Bucky. He’s still staring at the same spot on the ground, only making small grunts of pain as they work on his leg. Steve touches his forehead to Bucky’s and closes his eyes.

“It’s going to be okay, Buck. It’s all going to be okay,” he says under his breath.

“Done,” Ryan says, finishing up his work.

“Okay, now I really do need Dr. Banner here. Can you please tell him to fall back.”

Ryan gives Steve a small smile.

“He’s already on his way. Jack’s a dick. I signaled for Dr. Banner to come back the minute you asked. He should be here any minute now.”

Steve lets out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you, Ryan. Did you ever figure out who called Bucky?”

“The caller-id said Friday, but like the acronym. That’s Stark’s AI, isn’t it?”

“Why would Stark be calling Bucky? Unless….Damn it! Ryan, I’m going to need you to call that number back right now. A woman named Pepper is probably going to answer. I need you to tell me everything she says!”

Steve looks at Bucky, his eyes searching Bucky’s face for any hints on what happened. He wants to comfort Bucky so badly, but his hands are covered in his boyfriend’s blood as he continues to keep pressure on the leg.

“Damn it, Buck. What happened to make you so far gone?” he says sadly under his breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY HEART


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you thought things were going to get better, you were wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating last night!! Here's a new chapter for you though!! <3

“Bucky? Bucky, are you there?! Bucky!” 

There’s muffled yelling coming from the other end of the call.

“Bucky!” Pepper tries one more time to no avail, “Damn it!”

She ends the call, putting a hand to her head. What should she do? She looks at the kid, who is lying unconscious on the floor. He is too heavy for her to carry by herself. She needs someone to help her. Someone like….

“Friday?”

“Yes, Miss Potts?”

“Please inform Happy that I need him up hear, ASAP.”

“Right away, Miss Potts.”

Pepper kneels down next to Peter. She had caught him as he was falling off the stool, so thankfully he hadn’t hit his head on the concrete. When, she had made sure he was still breathing, she had gone and fetched her sweatshirt to put under his head.

Happy bursts through the door, breathing heavily.

“Friday….said…..there….was….an emergency?” He clutches the door frame for support, trying to catch his breath, “Who’s… the kid?”

“I’ll explain later! There’s a stretcher in the Med-Bay. I need you to run and get it!!”

“Right. Stretcher. Med-Bay. Running. Be right back.”

Happy takes off once more.

Pepper tries calling Bucky again. No answer.

“Friday, status report on the current mission?”

“Target has not been acquired. Steve has been ordered to fall back.”

Pepper’s heart drops.

“Why was Steve ordered to fall back?”

“No further information was given.”

Oh god, what had she done?

Happy returns with the stretcher.

“Got it!” he says, doubling over slightly, winded.

“Great, now get over here, and help me get Peter onto it!”

They lay Peter down carefully on the stretcher, and start to carry him off to the Med-Bay. They’re extra careful about keeping the stretcher as still as possible, not wanting to move Peter too much.

They get about half way there, when Peter’s eyes snap open. 

For a minute, his eyes just dart around the room, as his body slowly starts to stiffen. Then, without a word, he jumps off of the stretcher, scales the wall, and starts to back away from them slowly on the ceiling. 

“Please,” Peter sobs, “Please, don’t take me back there…… I’ll do anything…… Please, Bram…. Please….”

“Pepper…..Pepper, the kid’s on the ceiling…..what’s going on?” Happy says, his mouth wide open in shock. Pepper waves at him to be quite. 

Peter stops backing away, but he doesn’t appear to be coming down anytime soon.

“Peter, it’s me, Pepper, remember?” She reaches a hand out. Peter flinches, and takes a few more steps back.

“Don’t touch me!” he yells.

Pepper retracks her hand slowly, angry at herself for scaring Peter, when she should be making him feel better.

Everyone jumps as Pepper’s phone starts to ring. She slowly reaches into her pocket, and pulls it out, never taking her eyes off of Peter’s.

“Bucky?” she whispers, not wanting to startle the kid, again.

“Uhh, hi ma’am. This is Agent Ryan Collins of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I’m here with Captain America and the Winter Soldier. We have a bit of a situation.”

“I’m kind of in the middle of dealing with my own situation at the moment,” Pepper says, “Where’s Steve, can I talk to Steve?”

“Unfortunately, he’s has his hands full at the moment. He wants to know why you called Bucky. Bucky is going through an episode right now, and Captain is having a hard time getting through to him.”

“This is not happening,” Pepper says under her breath. How did things go so wrong so quickly?

“Excuse me?” the agent says.

“Tell Steve that I think Peter is having a flashback. I need advice on how to get through to him.”

There is a moment silence while Ryan relays the message to Steve. Peter has backed himself into a corner at this point, and is eyeing them cautiously.

There is a muffled sound as Ryan puts the phone back up to his ear.

“Steve says to turn off any lights. Do you know Russian?”

“I know a few words that Natasha’s taught me.”

There’s a second silence.

“That won’t be enough. Turn off the lights, and then give us an update on Peter’s status.”

Pepper signals Happy to turn off the lights. The lights go out, and it throws them into almost complete darkness, the only light coming from the glow of the phone screen.

“Peter?” she asks. No response, “Agent Collins, how am I supposed to update you on Peter if I can’t see him?”

All of a sudden, there is a loud thud from the vicinity of where Peter was, followed by a louder thud, and a groan from Happy.

Pepper lowers the phone, and listens carefully.

“Happy?” she says. No response.

“Peter, listen to me. You’re home. This isn’t Hydra, we aren’t here to hurt you.”

She slowly works her way through the darkness towards Happy. She nearly trips over him. She bends over to find a pulse. It’s there, but there is blood covering his face, presumably from a head wound.

She strains her eyes looking into the darkness, trying to locate Peter.

She gets up and starts to slowly make her way down the hall.

“Peter??” She says, cautiously.

She feels a shift in the air behind her. She whirls around. Nothing.

She puts the phone back up to her ear.

“Collins?” she whispers.

“Oh, thank god you’re still there,” Ryan says, sounding extremely relieved.

“Collins, listen carefully. Peter--”

Something hard smashes against the back of her head.

And then, there is nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that took quite a turn......
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Come say hi in the discord: https://discord.gg/rHzYSSX


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ummmm WHAT?!?!?!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..............................................

“This is Agent Collins. Cap, are you there?”

“Copy.”

“We’re going to need you to fall back to van Zulu-Foxtrot-23-Charlie-Tango-9. We have a bit of a situation here.”

“Copy. Headed to your location.”

Clint watches as Steve starts to make his way towards the van. His eyes scan over the few people that are going about their business. None of them interact, though. Nothing to suggest the start of an weapons deal. 

Halfway to the van, Steve bumps into a woman. Clint curses. He holds his breath, waiting to see if she’ll make a scene. Steve says something to her. She looks up confused, but Steve is already gone. The lady stares after him.

“We’ve got a potential problem. There’s a civilian that might blow our cover. I repeat, we have a civilian that might blow our cover, half a block due west of my location,” he says into his earpiece. 

He starts running across the roof, towards her.

“Description?” Tony asks.

“Late twenties, brown hair, wearing a yellow shirt.”

“I’ve got eyes on her,” Natasha says.

The woman ducks into Clint’s building.

“You guys stay focused on the mission. I’ll go after her,” Clint says, “Natasha, you take over as the primary eyes.”

“Copy,” Natasha says.

Clint races into the stairwell, and starts going down, two steps at a time. About two thirds of the way down, he catches sight of her entering the 12th floor. He races down the remaining steps, and throws open the door.

He stops in his tracks.

She’s standing right there, a gun level with his chest.

Tears well in her eyes. A look of disgust appears on her face.

“You people killed him,” She snarls venomously, her hands shaking.

Clint slowly raises his arms. His brow furrows.

“Killed who?” He asks, carefully.

“You killed him!” See yells, clearly distraught as she starts to wave the gun around slightly, “My brother! You killed Bram!”

Clint’s mind races. Bram’s sister? Is she involved with Hydra? How did she find them? Was she involved with the weapons deal?

He looks her straight in the face, and when he speaks, his voice is even. 

“I didn’t kill him. I wasn’t there when he died,” Clint says, trying to buy time.

“But you did! You all did! It’s your fault he’s dead! If he had just listened to me, and abandoned his obsession with that disgusting mutant child,” Clint starts to feel a deep rage within him, “But no. And now look what happened! We’ve descended into chaos. Now, slowly slide your bow, arrows, knives, and earpiece across the floor to me.”

Clint takes his sweet time removing all the weapons from his person.

“Anything else, princess?” he asks.

She doesn’t say anything, but raises her free hand to her ear.

“Phase two start. Begin the deal,” She lowers her hand, and waves him forward, “Come on, we’re going for a ride.”

She forces him down the remaining flight of stairs, and through the building’s lobby. They stop just shy of the building’s front door.

“Antonio, can I get a confirmation that the rest of the Avengers are preoccupied with the deal?.......Thanks, Antonio,” She looks at him, “Face the door,” she commands.

He slowly faces the door, and he feels her come up right behind him, and place the gun against his head. He feels her breath on his ear.

“Try anything, and I’ll blow your brains out. And then Steve’s. And then Bucky’s.”

Clint stiffens as he realizes what she means.

“I’m not going to that van. I’m not bringing them into this. Take your revenge out on me. Leave them out of this,” Clint argues, trying to stay as level headed as possible.

“Oh, you’re going to go to that van, otherwise I’m going to tell my sniper to put a bullet through Natasha’s head.”

“You don’t have a sniper,” Clint says trying to call her bluff, “We checked all of the surrounding buildings, and we have eyes over the this whole location.”

“Hmmm…. But what if you missed something, Clint? I mean, you didn’t see Bram coming. You didn’t see me coming. How many more times will you have to make the same mistake before you learn? Hmmm, Clint?”

And he realizes, she’s right. They could easily have missed someone. Maybe it was the bus driver. The waitress. The janitor. The bank teller. It could easily have been anyone of them. 

He takes a step forward.

“That a boy, Clint,” she says patting him on the shoulder, “Now shall we go meet your friends?”

She leads them out of the building and towards the van. Clint can see Steve’s feet peeking out from behind the vehicle, as well as blood that has started to pool on the pavement. They round the corner, and the first thing Clint sees is a very startled looking Agent.

“Move, and I shoot,” the woman says, digging the gun harder against the back of Clint’s skull. Steve looks up. His puffy eyes are wide in shock. Clint sees that Steve is pressing his hands hard against Bucky’s leg. He must have reopened his wound. Bucky is barely conscious.

“Clint?” Steve says, his voice hoarse.

“Bram’s psycho sister,” Clint offers in reply. She doesn’t take kindly to that comment. She kicks the back of his leg, causing him to fall to his knees.

“Everyone in the van. Now.” she says threateningly.

“I can’t move him,” Steve says, his eyes locked on Bucky, “he could die.”

“Perfect. Move him now, or I’ll make sure he’s dead within the next thirty seconds.”

Steve looks between the gun, Clint, the woman, and Bucky. Clint is surprised when the Agent is the one to speak next.

“Captain, he can make it. Let me help you put him in the van. I’ll get his wheelchair,” The man enters the van and comes back with the chair. Together, they slowly lift Bucky into his chair, and then into the van. She then closes the doors behind them, never taking the gun off of his head.

“You’re driving. Come on, let’s go.” She says, hauling him to his feet.

They get into the car. Clint looks over at the woman.

“Drive,” she says.

“Where to?” 

“Just drive straight for now.”

Seeing no way out of their current situation, Clint starts the car, and pulls away from the curb. They make it a few thousand feet when she speaks again.

“Turn here.”

Clint turns.

He looks over at the woman. Her eyes are trained on him. If he could just crash the car, he might be able to throw her off guard. He didn’t know the extent of Bucky’s injuries, though. Could that large of an impact kill him?

He didn’t have to choose.

His choice was made for him.

Something large slams into the side of the van, causing it to flip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love you all!!
> 
> Come say hi in the discord: https://discord.gg/GcXnGwJ


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan is adorable, and I love him <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love, and support!!! You guys are the best <3

Bruce watches, horrified, as Clint is led towards the van at gunpoint.

“It’s a trap,” he whispers into his ear piece, “the deal, it’s a trap.”

“Come again, Brucie?” Tony says.

“It’s a goddamn trap! That bitch played us! Do you guys still have eyes on the target location?”

“Affirmative,” Natasha says.

“Pretend to follow through with the deal, but as soon as I make my move, I’m going to need back up. There will probably be injuries, so I need someone to work rescue.”

“Leave it to me,” Sam says.

“Hey Doc, how do we know what the signal is?” Tony asks.

“Oh, you’ll know.”

 

“Come on, Bucky. Eyes on me,” Steve says, trying to stay strong. Bucky’s eyes start to flutter shut, “Eh, eh, eh! Don’t you quit on me now, soldier!” He pats Bucky’s cheek lightly, and his eyes open once more.

“He needs fluids,” Ryan says, “Here, I think I have some water in here somewhere,” He starts to dig through his bag. He pulls out a half crumpled bottle of water, and holds it out to Steve.

As Steve reaches up to grab it, the van suddenly lurches, and flips. Being caught off guard, the only thing Steve can do is grab hold of Bucky, and use his own body to shield Bucky from taking the brunt of the force. 

They all hit the side of the van hard. Steve lies there with Bucky on top of him, dazed. He groans.

“What the hell was that?” Ryan asks, rubbing his head.

“I don’t-- I don’t know,” Steve replies, trying to get his bearings, “I think we just go hit.”

Bucky groans. What remains of Steve’s focus goes back into helping Bucky. Steve lays Bucky down carefully. 

The van doors start to shake as someone tries to open them. Steve watches as Ryan braces himself for a fight, even though the Agent is having trouble just standing up straight. When the doors finally open, Ryan leaps out at the assailant. 

“Ahhhhhh!” He screams.

“Hey! Woah! It’s just me! Calm down, Agent.” 

Steve looks over, and sees Sam supporting Ryan, who had basically just fallen out of the vehicle.

“Is this the type of treatment I get for coming to save your sorry asses?” Sam asks. He hops into the van, and makes his way over to Steve and Bucky, “How bad is he?” 

“He’s lost a lot of blood, and he’s in and out of consciousness. He needs help desperately.”

There is a loud boom outside, followed by a mini shock wave. 

“What’s going on out there?” Ryan asks, about to poke his head out. Sam grabs the back of his shirt and pulls him back inside.

“You don’t want to go out there right now. Trust me. When the Big Green Guy is out, it’s best just to let him do his thing.”

Steve stiffens.

“Wait! What about Clint? Where is he? Is he okay? Where’s that woman?”

Sam puts a firm hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Hey, don’t worry. Clint walked out of here without a scratch. He’s Clint. He’s helping out the Big Guy.”

“Does the Hulk need help?” Steve asks in disbelief. 

“There’s something weird about this girl. They have trouble even locating her. She appears and disappears seemingly out of thin air. They’ve been able to hit her a couple of times, but they’re only grazes. This entire mission is a sham. Don’t worry about her, though. The others can handle it. We’ve got a chopper coming in to take you, Bucky, and this fellow back to the tower. Bruce called ahead. There is a team of do--”

“The tower!” Steve exclaims, suddenly remembering, “Something happened at the tower, Sam. I think Peter turned hostile.”

“I knew it! Didn’t I say--” Sam says, hardly even shocked by the news, but cuts himself off because of a look that Ryan gives him, “However, that’s not important right now. Okay, I’m going to fly back with you guys. I know Natasha would be the better option for this situation, but she has to stay here to neutralize code green.”

There is a sound of helicopter wings above them.

“Okay, boys! That’s our cue! Let’s move out!”

 

The Hulk’s eyes dart back and forth. He spots her a few feet to his left, and he lurches towards her. Just when he thinks his fist is going to make contact, there is a foot slamming into the back of his head. He whirls around, yelling, but there’s no one there. An arrow whizzes by, landing a few feet behind him. The Hulk turns, and spots her again, this time directly in front of him. He sprints forward. But then she’s right beside him, and his feet are getting kicked out from underneath him.

“Stop moving!” he yells, banging his fist against the ground. He slowly gets back up on his feet.

“Behind you!” Clint shouts. The Hulk turns, only to get a roundhouse kick to the face. She is so frustrating! How does she move so fast? It makes no sense. It is so infuriating!

He grabs a lamppost in rage and rips it out of the ground. He starts beating everything in sight, whether it’s moving or not.

“Hulk so upset! Stay still! Hulk want to smash!” He pounds the side of a building a few times before he gets some of his steam out. He looks around, but no one is in sight. No one to smash. His fists tighten in anger. 

“Hey!” he hears. The voice sounds familiar. He grumbles a little bit as he turns towards the origin of the sound. A different red-headed woman is standing before him. She has her hands raised. The Hulk knows what that means, but he’s not ready to leave yet. He needs to find the fast, maddening woman. He turns to the car next to him, and flips it. She’s not under there. He starts ambling away, tossing things out of his way as he moves.

“Hey!” He hears again. There is an odd pull to go investigate the noise. It seems strangely…...soothing. Safe. Happy. He stops, and looks over his shoulder at the woman. “Sun's getting real low, big guy.”

Hmmm…. Maybe he doesn’t care about the fast woman, after all. He’s tired. He just wants to rest. Maybe after he rests he’ll find the fast woman. 

He goes over to the red-headed woman. Her hand is raised in front of him. It’s a strange sight. He copies the gesture without even realizing it. Her hand moves down lower, palm facing up. It confuses him. She’s giving him all the control. He could easily grab hold, and smash. Why is she doing this? Curious to understand what she must be feeling, he extends his arm out in front of him, the back of his hand lying in her palm.

She moves her hand once again. This time, she runs the tips of her fingers down his inner arm and fingers. The sensation is nice. Calming. Trusting. Loving. 

His anger is gone, and the other guy is coming back. The Hulk relinquishes control.

Bruce rubs his head. He has a vague memory of being kicked there.

“What happened?” he mumbles.

“We got our asses kicked by Bram’s creepy sister. I’m pretty sure she was using short distance teleportation. Not that I even really know what that looks like. She was just getting from point A to point B freaky fast. She took off though. I don’t know where she went,” Clint informs him.

“I’m going to have some stern words with Fury, next time I see him,” Tony grumbles, “No time to chat, though, kiddos. According to Sam, the tower might be under attack by a young traumatized teenager with super strength. Who's ready for round two?” 

“I don’t think we have a choice,” Natasha says, as she walks with purpose towards the hidden quinjet. 

They take off at top speed towards the tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WhAt HaPpEnEd To BrAm'S SiStEr??????????? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
> 
>  
> 
> Come join the discord <3: https://discord.gg/jtJpYnq


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wants happiness?!?!!?!
> 
>  
> 
> Too bad! That's not what you're getting.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my new Beta Readers! <3 You guys are the best!!!
> 
> Love all of you so much!!! The bonus chapter is coming soon, I swear! <3

The helicopter lands on the top of Avengers Tower. Sam jumps out, followed closely by Ryan and Steve, who are carrying Bucky on a stretcher. They had expected the medical staff to be there waiting for them, but the roof is empty.

“You guys said there would be doctors here, right?” Ryan asks, looking between Sam and Steve. Both the men looked perplexed.

“They should be here. They’ve never not been here…” Sam says, looking around like they will magically appear out of thin air. 

“We don’t have time to wait for them. We have to get Bucky to the Med-Bay now,” Steve says. Neither of the other men argued.

They enter the elevator, and the doors close behind them. The lights are dimmer than usual. Sam taps one of the bulbs with his fingernail. 

“These damn bulbs don’t last very long. I told a custodian to replace these things a few weeks ago,” he complains.

The elevator starts to descend. With each new floor there is a soft ding. The elevator starts to slow as they approach their floor. It stops, and the doors open.

It’s pitch black.

“What the--” Sam says under his breath.

“Forget to pay the electric bill?” Ryan jokes, looking at the others in confusion.

“Friday?” Sam asks.

No response.

“Do you think this has something to do with Peter?” Sam asks Steve.

“No idea, but there is only one way to find out,” Steve starts to roll Bucky into the black void.

“Here, wait up!” Sam yells after them, turning on the flashlight that is built into his suit.

The light bounces of the walls, creating long, dark shadows. Sam sees Ryan look over his shoulder.

“Anyone else have a really eerie feeling right now?” Ryan asks.

“Scared, Ryan?” Sam teases

“Pffft, me? Scared?” he says, “No. No, I’m not scared…..Just mildly concerned,” he adds under his breath.

They continue to walk through the halls. All the power is out. No lights. No computer monitors. No Friday. Nothing. Their footsteps, and the wheels of the stretcher, echo through the halls. Nothing else makes a sound.

“Do you think we should call out for Pepper?” Sam asks.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea if Peter is hostile. We’ll just be giving away our location.”

“We probably already have…” Sam mumbles, looking up at the ceiling, searching for any lurking figures.

When they finally reach the Med-Bay, Sam curses.

“Where are all the doctors?!” he asks to no one in particular.

“We’re just going to have to do this ourselves,” Steve says, “Sam, why don’t you look into getting the power back on. Ryan, you can stay here, and help me with Bucky’s blood transfusion. There should be a flashlight in that drawer over there,” Steve says pointing to a cabinet across the room.

Ryan runs to get it, but Sam holds a hand up for him to stop.

“You might need this, too,” Sam says, handing him a pistol, “Self-defense only, and try not to kill anyone, okay?”

“Right. No killing. Got it,” Ryan says taking the gun from Sam, and then continuing towards the cabinet.

“Ryan, lock the door after I leave. I’ll have those lights up in no time,” Sam tries to give a reassuring smile, “See you soon.”

“See you soon,” Steve replies.

Sam steps back out into the hall. There is a short clunk as the door closes, and the deadbolt moves. 

He starts down the hall towards Tony’s workshop.

Sam starts to tense as he makes his way through the dark. Every noise seems to be amplified.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Sam’s eyes constantly scan the walls, and ceiling. At one point he thinks he sees a figure standing in front of him, but when he blinks the figure is gone. 

When he finally reaches Tony’s workshop, he starts to panic for a second. What if it’s locked? How will he get in? However, when he tries the door, if opens smoothly.

Sam steps into the room, and nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears a noise to his left. He whirls to face the noise, guns raised, but it’s only Dumb-E who must have gotten excited by his sudden appearance. Sam had forgotten that the robot ran on its own power source.

“Hey, Dumb-E,” Sam says feeling slightly stupid for saying hey to a robot. Then again, Dumb-E’s presence is somewhat comforting, in a strange sort of way.

Sam finally reaches the emergency back-up computer, and types in his passcode. To his relief, the screen comes to life nearly blinding him. 

“Welcome, Mr. Wilson. How can I be of assistance?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. asks.

“We could really use some power, Friday.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Wilson, but the power cannot be activated when the facility is in active lockdown. It is a security risk. All doors below floor eighty-five have been locked. All computers have been forcibly shut down. All elevators are running at minimal power. All non-essential electricity has been turned off. To exit lockdown mode, please enter a level ten security code,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. says in her typical cheery voice.

“Fuck,” Sam mutters, “Friday, can you show me the security tapes involving Pepper and Happy?”

“Pulling up security footage now.”

Sam watches as Peter leaps off of the stretcher and starts to scale the wall. Pepper answers her phone, and starts talking to Ryan, then everything goes black.

“This is everything? Did Peter go hostile, Friday? Is that why we’re in lockdown?”

“Peter is not the cause of the lock-down, Mr. Wilson.”

“If Peter’s not the cause of the lock-down, than what is?” Sam asks.

A hand suddenly shoots out from behind him, and presses a rag to his face.

“I am,” says a feminine voice, “Thanks for unlocking the computer for me, Sam.”

Everything starts to fade. He falls to the ground.

The last thing he sees are some white boots walking in front of his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm.... Things are not going too well for our superhero friends..........
> 
>  
> 
> Come say hi in the discord: https://discord.gg/sFkvhKw


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter does WHAT?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends! 
> 
> I love all of you so much!
> 
> That is all :)

Steve finishes wrapping the bandage around Bucky’s thigh, as Ryan stands over them holding the flashlight. 

“Do you have a lot of medical experience?” Ryan asks casually.

“I learned the basics back when I was serving in the military.”

“Right! The War. I kind of forgot about that. Wow, you’re really old man,” Ryan says with a hint of a laugh.

Steve smiles.

“So I’ve been told. So what made you decide to join S.H.I.E.L.D.?” Steve asks conversationally.

“I saw some shit growing up that I wish I hadn’t. I wanted to make a difference in people's lives. Protect them. This seemed as good of a way to do it as any.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve all seen a little too much in our life. I wish I could say it gets better. Hey could you move the light a little bit further this way? I want to check that I secured this bandage correctly…... Ryan?”

Steve looks up. Ryan’s face has lost all of its color as he stares across the room. Steve whirls around to find a figure dressed in all white. A mask with glowing red eyes obscures the figure’s face. Despite this, Steve knows exactly who it is.

“Steve….it just walked through the wall like it was nothing… Is that a thing that happens regularly around here?” Ryan stammers.

“No,” Steve responds.

“Oh. Great. Lovely. I love a good haunting. You can rest in peace now, troubled spirit. Move on to the great beyond,” Ryan says with a straight face.

The figure pulls off her mask to reveal her very alive face. She looks Ryan up and down with a judgemental look.

“I’m not a ghost, you weirdo. I’ve just got issues. Where’s the kid?” she says, cutting right to the chase, and raising her gun.

But so does Ryan.

He fires without hesitation.  
The bullet goes right through her, as if she were made of mist.

Ryan looks over at Steve horrified.

Steve is troubled, but doesn’t show it. The woman seems unfazed.

“What kid?” Steve asks, playing dumb.

“Your freaky spider kid.”

Ryan catches on.

“Hmmm, doesn’t ring a bell. I am familiar with a tarantula kid, though. He has like twenty of them living in his grandmother’s basemen--”

“Oh my god! Would you please shut up!” The woman yells.

“Uhh, sorry… I thought we were listing kids with weird insect obsessions,” Ryan says under his breath.

“The kid. Spider-Man. Peter Parker. Whatever you want to call him. Where is he?”

“Why would we tell you?” Steve retorts, “Why do you even care so much? Your brother wasn’t exactly the nicest person on the planet.”

“My brother was everything to me. He was my only remaining family. And that man took him from me,” She points the gun angrily at Bucky. Steve shifts his body, putting himself between Bucky and the gun, “I watched him grow up from a far. He never even knew I existed. I didn’t want to drag him down with my problems. I always looked after him the best I could, though.”

“The best you could?” Steve fumes, “The best you could! That poor kid grew up in a Hydra base. He was probably brainwashed and tortured everyday of his childhood. How could that be the best for him?”

“At least he didn’t grow up on the streets like Agent Collins over here.”

Steve feels slightly taken aback by the sudden news. Ryan gets defensive.

“I would rather spend my entire life on the streets than a second in a Hydra base. The life you gave your brother drove him mad. If you can’t see that, then you are more insane than he was.”

She turns the gun on Ryan.

“Shut up! Shut up about Bram. You don’t understand the life we came from. You don’t understand what happened. What I am. Besides my mentor, Bram was all I had. Now tell me where the kid is, or I’ll start my killing spree with Bram’s murder.”

She turns the gun back in Bucky’s direction.

“Like hell you will,” Steve says, leaping from the bed, and charging the ghostly figure.

A gunshot rings throughout the room.

 

 

Peter crawls on the ceiling, trying to find his way out of the Hydra compound in the dark. He had escaped Bram, and his henchman. Now, he just needs to avoid the guards. This didn’t seem to be very much of a problem. He hadn’t run across a single other guard since he had left Bram and the other guy tied up in the closet.

He turns a corner, and sees light emanating from a flashlight. He quietly crawls down the wall to hind behind a large cart, while he waits for them to pass. Something catches his eye, though.

Bucky?

Where were they taking him? There were three guards escorting him. Peter feels like he could typically take them in a fight, but what if they manage to summon other guards? He would be putting both him and Bucky at risk. He figures it’s best just to follow them, and wait for a better chance.

They all enter the torture chamber together. Peter slips in silently behind them. One of the guards leaves almost immediately. One guard down, two more to go. Thankfully Bucky seems to be unconscious, so they have no reason to torture him. Peter decides to wait again, hopeful that a better opportunity will arise to make their escape.

A few minutes later, he silently curses when a new guard appears in the room. Peter watches as they start to argue. This new guard appears to be looking for Peter. He shrinks deeper into the shadows not wanting to be found. Two of the guards pull out a gun. Someone fires. Peter squeezes his eyes shut.

No, No, No, No, No.

When he opens his eyes again, everyone is still standing.

The other guards seem to be distraught by something. Peter can’t tell what. When the new guard starts pointing the gun at Bucky, Peter starts to panic. He’s shocked when he sees the guard closest to Bucky shield him with his body.

Peter stares at the scene confused. Why were these guards protecting Bucky? He had never seen a Hydra operative willing to sacrifice his life for the life of a prisoner. Peter’s mind races as he continues to watch the scene unfold. 

They continue to argue. Little of it makes sense to Peter. The new guard mentions Bram’s murder. Had Peter killed him by accident a few moments ago?

But Peter didn’t have time to dwell on that. The gun is back on Bucky, and this time he knows she means to fire it. 

The protective guard leaps forward to try and stop the guard.

The woman takes aim. Gets ready to pull the trigger. And--

But Peter is too fast. He leaps from his hiding place, and goes barrelling into the woman causing her to hit the ground hard. The gun fires, but doesn’t hit anything except the wall. The weapon slides under a desk. Peter lunges for it. So does the woman.

But he gets there first.

He holds the gun in his hands.

The metal feels cold in his hands.

He feels revolted by it.

But he can’t lose Bucky.

He takes aim.

 

And he fires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PETER!!!!! :O
> 
>  
> 
> Come say hi in the discord! -https://discord.gg/GcXnGwJ


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Peter??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING!!!: *VERY* minor spoiler for Ant-Man and the Wasp, if you can even call it that. It's more like an easter egg for those who have seen the movie. If you haven't seen the movie, I doubt you will even notice. Just thought I would cover my bases.
> 
> Enjoy the second to last chapter!! Don't worry though. I plan to do a short prequel, a semi-lengthy sequel, and another short sequel novella. This story isn't over yet! The prequel will be pretty dark, but the sequels will be much more upbeat. Hope to see you all there <3

Ava feels someone slam into her back, and she goes sprawling across the floor, along with the gun. She looks over her shoulder. 

Peter fucking Parker. Of course.

She seizes her opportunity, and lunges for the gun. She’s going to get there first. She knows it. 

But she doesn’t.

And suddenly the gun is aimed at her, and she’s staring into the eyes of her brother’s obsession. Her brother’s downfall. Her brother’s killer.

And she forgets the gun that’s in his hand. She forgets everything around her. All that remains is her, Peter, and the sorrow that she feels.

And he pulls the trigger. And she doesn’t phase out. And the bullet rips through her abdomen. And she’s falling to her knees, blood dribbling out of the corners of her mouth. And she looks in the kid’s eyes. The only thing her brother truly cared about in life, even if it was a twisted love.

“I just wanted justice for my brother’s death. I just wanted someone to give a damn about him, for once in his life,” she whispers, finding it hard to breathe, “No one ever loved him. No one, but me. He used to be a good kid. A kind one. Like you. He didn’t deserve what life threw at him. Nobody does.”

The room is spinning, and she knows that this will probably be the last time she ever sees Peter. The last time she’ll see the last remaining link to her brother. She stares up at the kid, and she sees the terror in his eyes, and the baby fat in this cheeks, and that expression of being lost in a world too cruel. And she can’t help but think of Bram, and how he was once this way.

Lost.

Confused.

Lonely.

Scared.

She realizes that she has become what she hated most. She has become the terrorizer.

“I’m sorry,” she says simply, knowing that no words would ever fix what Hydra had broken. What she had broken.

What Bram had broken.

And as her vision starts to fade to black, all she can see is Bram’s happy, young, carefree face smiling down at her. 

If only she could turn back time.

 

Natasha, Bruce, and Clint arrive mere seconds after Peter fires the gun, and the doctors follow quickly after that. Tony had turned the power back on, and was getting everything in working order again. Steve continues to work on Bucky’s wound with the help of one of the doctors. The other doctors, and Bruce take Bram’s sister away to a more secluded area. They plan on keeping her sedated so that she would be unable to use her powers again.

Natasha runs over to Peter, and joins a man that she soon comes to find out is named Ryan. Peter is staring at the woman’s blood on the ground, still holding the pistol in his hands. When Natasha draws near, he looks up at her, his face lost in thought. His expression is more stoic than anything else.

“Peter are you okay?” she asks gently, “What happened?”

“I finally understand,” he says simply, handing the gun over to Natasha, “By the way, Pepper and Happy are locked in storage closet 938b. They should be fine if you given them some aspirin for their headaches. Who are you?” Peter asks, stretching his hand out to Agent Collins.

“Ryan,” he says, shaking Peter’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ryan. Have you ever played Liverpool Rummy?”

“No,” Ryan replies.

“Would you like to learn?”

“I don’t see why not! Is there betting involved, because I have a giant bag of Skittles in my tactical bag.”

Peter smiles.

“I’m sure we can find a way to add the Skittles in somehow. Just don’t tell Clint that candy is involved! He’ll end up snatching it up before we even know what happened. He does it with Tony’s cereal all the time.”

Natasha watches dumbfounded as the two men walk away. What had caused this complete 180 in Peter’s personality? What had changed so drastically in his mind.

She stares at Peter as he shuffles the cards, adding in card tricks with a big grin on his face. Whatever had flipped that switch, Natasha was eternally grateful for it.

 

A few hours later, thanks to the help of Friday, the team is able to learn that Bram’s sister is a woman by the name of Ava Starr. Fury steps in and says that she needs to be properly detained, so she is handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D. Everyone is secretly relieved to have her out of the building.

That night, everyone gathers in the Med-Bay sitting on the too few beds as they eat pizza, and keep the injured company. A very confused Pepper and Happy had been brought up to the Med-Bay hours earlier, and Pepper had started apologizing profusely to Peter. Peter nodded in acknowledgement, made his own apology, and then quickly changed the topic. No one seemed to notice except Natasha.

Bucky woke up just as the pizza was arriving, to everyone’s amusement. Steve jokingly claimed that Bucky loved pizza more than him, but his fake offense didn’t last long. He was just overjoyed to see Bucky conscious. 

That night was the first night in a long time where everyone had been together.

Where everyone had been happy.

It was the first in a long string of nights to come.

And as Peter sat there laughing at something Clint said until his eyes watered, and he couldn’t breathe, his heart felt pure, and filled with untainted joy.

He finally understood.

He had what Bram and Ava never had.

He had a family.

A super family.

And he knew that no matter where he was, no matter what happened, his family would always be there to back him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY PETER! After 50 chapters of torture, you are FINALLY on the mend!!
> 
>  
> 
> To stay up to date with my new works, and to just meet some super cool people, come hang out in my discord! : https://discord.gg/NhNhsHV


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This chapter has no actual effect on the plot of the overall story. It was just something fun the people in discord came up with. I would like to give special thanks to DEVILATWORK, divagirlxrm, itsyourboi_aurus, Thundawolf238, 3amryu, and everyone else in the discord for contributing to this. All of the credit should go to them. I'm just the one who organized it into a chapter. They are amazing <3 
> 
> If you would like to come meet all of these lovely people come join the discord: https://discord.gg/sFkvhKw

After the whole “Pepper incident” involving the shootout on TV, Bucky decides to host a little crash course for her. The other Avengers show up to be supportive. This is what ensues:

 

Everyone files into the room. There are a few rows of folding chairs that face a large screen that reads “Things to Avoid Around Peter”.

They all move to grab a seat. Pepper sits in the front row, slightly off to the side. Steve sits dead center, being the supportive boyfriend that he is. Bruce, just having a supportive personality type in general, also sits in the front row. Tony sits towards the middle, wanting to have the best vantage point of the scene that was about to go down, and Natasha and Clint hide in the back together.

Bucky walks to the front of the room. He is dressed in his best suit, and his hair is tied back in a neat bun. 

“Welcome, everyone,” he smiles, “Due to recent um….events, I decided to host a crash course on what NOT to do in front of Peter. It is fairly simple and---”

Thor bursts into the room.

“Ah! Sorry I am late, my friend. Tony told me it was of great importance that I attend this gathering!”

“No worries,” Bucky says, “Just grab a seat,” he gestures to the open chairs. Thor plops down right next to Tony with a big grin on his face. Tony turns around to face Clint.

“Did you go yell at the sky again?” Tony whispers in curiosity. Clint smiles, and nods.

“As I was saying, Peter has certain triggers that should not be brought up under ANY circumstance. We all learned that the hard way. So without further ado, may I welcome you to ‘Things to Avoid Around Peter: The Class’!” 

Steve starts clapping, enthusiastically. Thor, following suit, joins in, and even gives Bucky a shout of excitement. While those two are clapping, Bruce reaches into his bag and pulls out a large spiral notebook, and some gel pens. The classroom had always been his favorite environment. 

Bucky pulls out a purple laser pointer, and advances the slide. The next slide spins before coming to rest on the screen. Tony rolls his eyes. If HE was doing the presentation, he would make a much BETTER powerpoint, with even BETTER animations. The new slide reads, “What not to do around Peter”. There is only one bullet point: No gunshots.

“As you can see this is very self explanatory. Peter gets flashbacks, or panic attacks at the sound of gunfire, or even just thinking about gun fire. So just refrain from mentioning the topic at all times.”

Steve nods fervently. Bruce carefully writes down every single word that comes out of Bucky’s mouth. Pepper sits there quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself. Tony is still formulating a better powerpoint. 

Clint has secretly taken out a bag of chips, and is munching on them, while Natasha has her feet in his lap. She occasionally reaches over to steal some of Clint’s chips.

Thor on the other had has his eyes glued to the laser pointer dot on the screen. His eyes follow it like a cat. He has a huge grin of amusement on his face, and is elbowing Tony in the ribs, and whispering to him excitedly, “Is that not incredible, Tony?! What kind of sorcery is it? We do no have this type of magic back on Asgard.”

Bucky carries on about all the different types of ways that they should NOT bring up gunshots. When he has finishes his monologue, he barely stops for air, when he signals for Steve, “And now a live demonstration about how things could go terribly, horribly wrong.”

Steve runs into the closet, and comes out a moment later wearing a too small Spider-Man costume.

“Hello guys! My name is Peter! I’m also secretly Spider-Man, but don’t tell anyone! It’s a secret!”

Bruce whips off his reading glasses, and his hand shoots into the air.

“Yes, Bruce?”

“What does A.S.S.P.P.C. stand for? There is a post it note pinned to the back of the suit with those letters on it.”

“Good question Bruce!” Bucky says, beaming, “The A.S.S.P.P.C is a new organization that Steve and I just formed the other day, and that you are all a part of now. It stands for Avenger’s Super Secret Protect Peter Club. It is of the highest priority.”

Bruce writes all of that down as quickly as he can.

“Alright Steve, ready?”

“Ready.”

Bucky pulls out a smartphone, while Steve sits on a chair, smiling, and pretending to stare off into space.

“Hmmmm, I wonder what is on the video sharing platform, YouTube, today?” Bucky says in an over dramatized voice, “Wow! A video showing how to properly fire a weapon! Cool! I’m going to play it right next to the innocent, yet traumatized kid, and I’m definitely not going to bother with headphones. He won’t mind, right?!”

No one responds.

“Right?” Bucky asks again, in a louder voice.

Bruce raises his hand.

“That is an incorrect statement. The kid in question would care very much,” Bruce answers.

“I agree.” Thor concurs. Loud crunching of chips comes from the back row.

“You guys are absolutely correct! This is what would happen.”

Instead of playing an actual video with gunfire, Bucky pulls up a video that just goes “pew, pew, pew, pew, pew” to symbolize gun noises.

Steve covers his ears.

“Ahhh, please stop. I don’t like this. I am scared!” Steve proceeds to collapse on the floor.

Tony wrinkles his forehead.

“Umm did Steve… I mean Peter… just die?”

“Yes!” Bucky says getting really defensive, “If you play gun noises Peter will die. Don’t play gun noises. You’ll be charged with murder. Any further questions? No? Okay, this concludes the demonstration portion of the lesson. Lastly, you will be taking an exam. It has 50 multiple choice questions, and a written exam."

Clint looks up in shock, and mild horror. Bruce smiles to himself, knowing that he’ll ace it.

 

Meanwhile outside of the conference room…….

Peter presses his ear to the door, trying to hear something. Anything. Whatever was going on in there it must be really cool because all of the Avengers are there. Even Thor showed up.

“Dang it!” He yell whispers, when he realizes that listening at the door is going to get him nowhere. He sees Agent Ryan Collins a little bit further down the hall.

“Pssssssssssst,” Peter waves at Ryan, “Hey! Ryan! I need your help!”

Ryan ambles over. 

“Getting into mischief? I approve. How can I help?”

“I need you to boost me up to that vent, so that I can get it open.”

“Okay,” Ryan says happily.

“You’re not going to ask me any questions about why I want to get into the vent?”

“No. Why? Should I?” Ryan laughs. He boosts Peter up, so that he can reach the vent. As he pulling the cover away from the vent, he hears a soft click. An ungodly amount of confetti blasts from the inside of the vent into Peter’s face, causing Peter to tumble to the ground. As soon as Ryan knows that Peter is okay, he starts laughing hysterically, tears streaming from his eyes.

“You….Should… Have… Seen…. Your… Face….” Ryan gasps.

A piece of notebook paper flutters down to the ground in front of Peter. He unfolds it, and reads:

 

Nice try, kid. You’re going to have to do better than that to fool me, though. Stay out of my vents! They are strictly for breakfast cereal operations only! 

-Love, your favorite Avenger, Clint. 

P.S. Do you want to go play laser tag with me later?

 

Peter rolls his eyes, and sighs.

“Come on, Ryan,” Peter says, grabbing hold of Ryan’s hand as he starts to drag him along, “Let’s go see if there are any of Bruce’s muffins left in the kitchen.”

 

Meanwhile, back in the conference room:

Pepper works diligently on her test. She’s filling in the last of the multiple choice answers. Bruce is already done, and is taking a quick nap, Steve is putting the final touches on his essay, Tony is leaning forward slightly as he cheats off of Bruce, Thor is drawing pictures of cats, and Nat is whispering to Clint.

“These inspirational quotes at the top are great! ‘Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough’, Clint.”

“How about this one,” Clint whispers back, “The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”

They start uncontrollable giggling.

“Hey! No talking back there!” Bucky yells at them.

“Sorry, professor Barnes. Our lips are sealed,” Clint says, trying to stifle his laughter.

At the end of the day the only ones who passed the class were Bruce, Steve, and most importantly, Pepper. But it was the start of something great. It was the start of the A.S.S.P.P.C.

While there was a lot of joking going on, everyone took the main goal seriously. Protect Peter Parker at all costs.

In the months to follow there were many more club meetings. Peter would try to infiltrate all of them with the help of his trusty sidekick, Ryan. However, Clint would always be one step ahead of them.

Tony spent the next few months saying the motivational quotes to everyone. Almost everyone would roll their eyes at Tony, annoyed. Only Steve didn’t get as a joke, and would always thank Tony for his words of wisdom. Tony never had the heart to tell him that he was joking, so he would always say, “You deserve it, pal.”

And so, the A.S.S.P.P.C was born, and from it came a beautiful superhero family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE LAST AND FINAL CHAPTER OF THIS FIC WILL BE UP LATER TODAY!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the end. Farewell, for now.
> 
> NEW STORY UP NOW!!!! https://archiveofourown.org/works/15377406/chapters/35684877

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends!! Wow, I have a lot to say.
> 
> 1\. Thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have finished this fic, and supported it all the way through. A special thanks to those who have been here from almost the beginning. You all have made my first fanfic experience incredible, and I couldn't wish for anything more!  
> 2\. A special shout out to my ASSPPC fam over in the discord! I love hanging out with you every day! Protect Peter at all costs! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!  
> 3\. A special shout out to my Beta Readers!! I really appreciate everything you do, and I'm sure everyone else does too <3  
> 4\. If you like my writing, and want to see more, make sure to keep a look out for my next story! I'm going to take a short hiatus, but I should be back in less than a week!  
> 5\. One last time I just want to say thank you to everyone! It has been a wild and crazy ride, and I couldn't have done it without you <3

*A few months later*

 

“Do you think he wants chocolate? He likes chocolate right? Oh my god! What if he doesn’t like chocolate?!” Peter asks him, as him and Bucky walk down the street towards the bakery. 

“I’m sure Tony will love anything you pick out for him.”

“You’re right, we should definitely get the chocolate cake. Everyone loves chocolate cake.”

They enter the cake shop, and Peter immediately wanders over to the display, eyeing all of the pastries.

“What can I do for you folks?” The baker asks.

“Hi,” Bucky says, “we’re looking for a chocolate birthday cake.”

“A birthday, hmm? How old are you turning, son?” the baker asks Peter.

Peter takes his eyes off the desserts, looking up with an expression of confusion.

“Huh?... Oh! The cake isn’t for me. It’s for a family member,” Peter explains.

“Ope, my apologies! You just looked so ready to try our carefully crafted desserts.”

Peter gives the baker a smile.

“Well, let me ring you gentleman up! That will be $22.53.”

Bucky hands the baker some cash.

“You have a nice day, now!”

“You, too! Thank you!” Peter yells back, as he exits the store. He turns to Bucky, “I can’t wait for tonight! Do you think Tony will be surprised? I think he’ll be surprised. Aunt May said he was going to love my gift, but I’m not sure. Ryan said he was coming, right? S.H.I.E.L.D. gave him time off?”

“Did Clint feed you sugary cereal again?” Bucky asks, looking at the kid who is practically shaking with energy, “And yes, Ryan is coming.”

“No, Clint didn’t give me anything. Nat did,” Bucky rolls his eyes, “You remembered to tell Ryan to bring the ice cream right?”

“Peter, relax!! It’s going to be perfect!” Bucky laughs, smiling at Peter.

Peter has a big, goofy grin on his face.

“I can’t wait to see his face! Let’s just hope Pepper can keep him away from the tower for a little bit longer.”

“Trust me. I overheard her and Nat coming up with a plan. Tony isn’t coming home for at least another thirty minutes.”

“This is going to be so great!” Peter basically squeals as they reach the tower.

 

Up on the main floor, preparations are well underway. Bruce is cooking some stuffed burgers, homemade french fries, and a fruit salad. Thor is blowing up balloons. Natasha and Clint are hanging the streamers, and Steve and Sam are picking out music. As Bucky and Peter enter the room, they find Steve and Sam jamming out to “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi.

Peter, of course, immediately joins in. They all start scream singing the lyrics.

“SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, AND YOU’RE TO BLAME! YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME!!”

It becomes infectious, and by the end of the song, everyone is singing along. As the song ends, F.R.I.D.A.Y. comes on the intercom.

“Mr. Parker, there is a visitor here to see you. A mister Ryan Collins.”

“Send him up!” Peter tells the AI, hardly containing his excitement.

“If Ryan is here, that means Tony is almost back!” Bucky yells, “Five minutes, people!”

Everyone rushes to finish their tasks.

When Ryan exists the elevator, Peter runs and gives him a big hug.

“I’ve missed you,” Peter mumbles into the man’s shirt.

“Hey, now! I’ve only been gone a month. I had a very important assignment in Budapest!” Ryan says. Natasha and Clint exchange a meaningful look, “But I’m back now! And…..” he says the next part under his breath, “I brought your winnings! Don’t tell Bucky, or Bruce. They’ll kill me for giving you more sugar.”

He secretly hands Peter a bag of Skittles. Peter uses sleight of hand to pocket it. Ryan turns to the rest of the team.

“Now, who’s ready to party!?”

 

The party went off without a hitch. Tony was shocked when he came home, they all had a lovely dinner together, they sang Happy Birthday, and ate the best chocolate cake that anyone had ever had (besides maybe Bruce’s). But it was the next part that Peter was really looking forward to. Everyone moves over to the couches.

“No! You guys didn’t! I’m like a billionaire! I don’t need anything!” Tony protests as he sees Peter pull out a small wrapped gift.

Nat shoves Tony in the arm.

“Good, because we didn’t get you anything. Peter made you something. In fact he made all of us something,” Natasha says being supportive. She knew what the gift was. She had helped Peter with it. 

Peter gets immediately shy, and gingerly hands the gift over to Tony.

“I--uh--figured you should be the one to open it, since it’s your birthday,” Peter says.

Tony tears the paper off carefully. Inside lies a book with the words “Peter’s Super Family” printed on the cover. Tony’s eyes start to water ever so slightly as he opens it up. On the first page is a picture of all of them that was taken a few days after the “Ava incident”. Ryan had helped Peter with the group photo mission. He claimed it was for “legal purposes”, and that S.H.I.E.L.D. needed it, but really it was for this photo album.

The rest of the photos in the album were taken from F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s memory bank with the help of Natasha. They were candid photos of them just hanging out and being friends. Hanging out with Bruce in the Kitchen. Playing cards with Bucky, Ryan, Steve, and Clint. Working in the workshop with Tony. Playing pingpong with Thor. Working out with Steve and Sam. Watching horror movies with Natasha.

It was just them being themselves.

Being a family.

“Oh, Peter…” Tony says under his breath.

“What? What is it? I want to see!” Bucky yells, trying to get a better look at the photo album.

“Hey, there’s a line. Wait your turn,” Clint says, playfully pushing Bucky back.

“I don’t want to,” Bucky whines, “I want to see it now!!”

The two of them get into a mini whisper fight that is broken up when Tony speaks.

“Well, I knew that you guys would probably plan some crazy birthday stuff, and you know how I hate gifts, so…” Tony reaches behind the couch and pull out a very large bag, “I got you all gifts instead. Customized pink bunny slippers with your names on them. Nat, here’s yours. Bruce. Steve. Bucky. Pepper. Thor. Sam. Clint. Ryan. Peter.”

Clint hold up his pink bunny slippers, and examines them.

“Mine say Legolas.”

“I don’t see the problem. That’s your name, isn’t it?” Tony replies, putting on his own.

“Mine says science bro,” Bruce says.

Tony points a finger at him.

“That’s a compliment.”

“Mine legitimately says grandpa on it,” Steve says, holding his up to show everyone.

“Do any of these actually have our real names on them?” Natasha asks.

“Mine, and the kid’s,” Tony says.

“Why me?” asks Peter.

“Because, you’re my protege! I can’t have you wearing bunny slippers with weird nicknames on the side of them! No! Only proper bunny slippers will do.”

“Quick question,” Ryan says, looking up mildly concerned, “Why does mine say drug dealer. I don’t deal drugs! You can check! I don’t have any drugs on me.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Tony says, “I see you all the time giving the kid--”

“I’m not giving Peter anything! The only thing I give Peter----- Oooohhhhhhhh……” Ryan says as he watches Peter’s foot tap uncontrollably from his sugar high. 

“Oh what?” Peter asks looking around, “Is it time for the movie?! I’ve been dying to watch all these old movies with you guys! Which one are we watching first? Back to the Future, or Ghostbusters?”

 

And so, they all spent the rest of the night eating popcorn, yelling “Who you gonna call?”, and screaming politely at each other to shut up so they can hear.

Because just like the album says, they are a family.

They are Peter’s super family.

And that’s what families do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT'S ALL FOLKS!! 
> 
> I hope to see you all in about a week's time!!
> 
> If you want to make sure you don't miss my new upload come join the discord!! :https://discord.gg/NEXTU7x

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you want more!!! Comments are always appreciated! <3


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